Multi-site & Unified Platform Solution

Case Study: Mission‑Critical Public Safety Platform Built on Umbraco

Key Results:

  • Handled up to 173 million requests/day and sustained 8,000 requests/second during peak wildfire season
  • Achieved approximately 600% increase in web traffic post-launch
  • Zero unplanned site outages during major fire incidents
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Hero Calfire Laptop
Incident Detail Dashboard

About CAL FIRE

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) protects people, property and natural resources across the state. Its public‑facing websites are vital for sharing real‑time information and safety resources and must remain dependable during emergencies.

Before partnering with ProWorks, CAL FIRE operated multiple websites on disparate platforms. Content editors lacked consistency and flexibility, and the sites needed to meet stringent state accessibility standards.

The Challenge

CAL FIRE needed to consolidate numerous departmental sites into a unified platform that could scale on demand while meeting accessibility and design mandates. Specific hurdles included:

  • Inconsistent content management tools and workflows across departments.
  • Compliance with the California Web Design Template and WCAG AA accessibility requirements.
  • Lack of standardized deployment processes, making updates risky and time‑consuming.
  • Inability to cope with dramatic traffic spikes during wildfire seasons.
  • No central, real‑time incident map to inform the public.

Services Provided

  • Architecture & Solution Design
  • DevOps Engineering
  • UX / UI Design
  • Custom Integrations
  • Accessibility Compliance
  • Multilingual Enablement
  • Training & Enablement
  • Testing & Quality Assurance
  • Project Management & Strategic Roadmapping
  • Azure Cloud Deployment & Hosting Support
  • Content Strategy & Governance
  • Performance Optimization & Load Testing
  • Continuous Support & Maintenance
  • Discovery & Requirements Analysis

“CAL FIRE contracted with ProWorks to assist us with a complete redesign of all of our public websites into Umbraco, and they have proven to be absolutely fantastic. They've provided consistently excellent service since day one, guiding us through every aspect of the project. During an unprecedented fire season in California, where our site was receiving billions of hits and downtime was simply not an option, ProWorks was always ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. A fantastic team of professionals with our highest recommendation.”

Evin Van Outryve- Web Services Project Manager, Cal Fire

Key Objectives

To improve site performance and reliability

so the platform can handle massive spikes in traffic during critical wildfire events without downtime.

To enhance situational awareness

through a custom, real-time incident map integrated with CAL FIRE’s live data and alerting systems.

To modernize CAL FIRE’s web presence

by consolidating multiple legacy sites into a unified, scalable, and user-friendly platform.

To ensure accessibility and compliance

by meeting WCAG AA and California state design standards for an inclusive digital experience.

Our Solution

Following an extensive discovery phase, ProWorks architected a scalable, multi‑site solution powered by Umbraco CMS:

  • Unified nine CAL FIRE sites on a single codebase for consistent branding and maintenance.
  • Built custom Azure DevOps pipelines with Umbraco Deploy for automated content and code deployment.
  • Implemented Umbraco’s Block Editor to give content teams flexible, component‑based control while adhering to the California Web Design Template.
  • Integrated a real‑time incident map using the ESRI API, enabling visitors to track fire events statewide.
  • Added multilingual support and built‑in WCAG AA accessibility to serve California’s diverse population.
Phone Display Calfire

Statistics

173M
Requests per day sustained at peak
600%
Increase in traffic after launch
0
Unplanned site outages during peak wildfire seasons

Results & Impact

The new platform delivered measurable benefits for CAL FIRE and the communities it serves:

  • Handled up to 173 million requests per day and sustained 8,000 requests per second during peak wildfire season.
  • Overall web traffic increased by approximately 600 % after launch.
  • No downtime impacted users during major fire incidents, ensuring continuous access to safety information.
  • All sites now meet WCAG AA accessibility requirements and adhere to the California Web Design Template.
  • Content editors efficiently manage multiple sites from a single codebase with automated deployments.
  • Real‑time incident data improves transparency and empowers Californians to stay informed.

Key Outcomes

  • Improved performance and reliability during peak wildfire season, sustaining up to 8,000 requests per second without downtime.
  • Enhanced accessibility and compliance with WCAG AA and California’s Web Design System standards.
  • Faster content deployment through an on-premise Umbraco Deploy setup enabling push-button publishing across environments.
  • Stronger integrations with CAL FIRE’s live incident and alert systems via a custom ESRI map dashboard.
  • Increased traffic capacity — supporting a 600% rise in visitors post-launch without performance loss.

Let’s Build Your Mission‑Critical Platform

ProWorks helps public sector organizations and high‑traffic teams build digital platforms that scale under pressure and deliver engaging experiences. If you're ready to modernise your web presence, let’s talk.

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