diff --git a/src/tools/queries/brief.js b/src/tools/queries/brief.js
index cf6161693..e1900873d 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/brief.js
+++ b/src/tools/queries/brief.js
@@ -90,9 +90,11 @@ const AWARENESS_SECTIONS = [
 function sectionFeedState(section) {
   if (section.unavailable) return 'unavailable';
   const data = section.data || {};
-  return data.freshness === 'stale' || data.stale === true
-    ? 'stale'
-    : 'nominal';
+  if (data.freshness === 'stale' || data.stale === true) return 'stale';
+  // Answered, but some of the feeds or satellites behind it did not.
+  if (data.missing_sources?.length || data.unavailable_feeds?.length)
+    return 'degraded';
+  return 'nominal';
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/environment.js b/src/tools/queries/environment.js
index 141a8e70c..fab605431 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/environment.js
+++ b/src/tools/queries/environment.js
@@ -104,9 +104,18 @@ export const getWeather = defineTool({
       signal,
     });
     const row = weatherRow(payload?.weather);
+    // The proxy answers from its cache, marked stale, when a refresh fails.
+    const stale = payload?.status === 'stale';
     return {
-      summary: `Weather at ${point.label}: ${describeWeather(row)}.`,
-      data: { location: point, weather: row },
+      summary:
+        `Weather at ${point.label}: ${describeWeather(row)}` +
+        (stale ? ' (data may be stale).' : '.'),
+      data: {
+        location: point,
+        weather: row,
+        stale,
+        retrieved_at: payload?.retrievedAt ?? null,
+      },
     };
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/environment.test.mjs b/src/tools/queries/environment.test.mjs
index b26c615bf..617d156f2 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/environment.test.mjs
+++ b/src/tools/queries/environment.test.mjs
@@ -694,3 +694,51 @@ test('a fire perimeter enclosing the whole area is found', async () => {
     ['big'],
   );
 });
+
+test('stale weather and partial fire data reach answers and the HUD caption', async () => {
+  const sent = [];
+  const summary = {
+    async summarize(context) {
+      sent.push(context);
+      return { ok: true, status: 200, data: { summary: 'Austin STALE' } };
+    },
+  };
+  const staleWeather = {
+    getConditions: async () => ({ status: 'stale', weather: conditions }),
+  };
+  const fires = {
+    getSnapshot: async () => ({
+      stale: false,
+      fetchedAt: Date.UTC(2026, 0, 1),
+      sources: [
+        { source: 'VIIRS_NOAA20_NRT', ok: true },
+        { source: 'VIIRS_SNPP_NRT', ok: false },
+      ],
+      fires: [],
+    }),
+  };
+  const catalog = catalogWith({
+    weather: staleWeather,
+    summary,
+    places,
+    fires,
+  });
+  const weatherResult = await catalog.call('get_weather', {
+    location: { place: 'Austin' },
+  });
+  assert.equal(weatherResult.data.stale, true);
+  assert.match(weatherResult.summary, /\(data may be stale\)\.$/);
+  const fireResult = await catalog.call('get_active_fires', {
+    area: { place: 'Austin' },
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(fireResult.data.missing_sources, ['VIIRS_SNPP_NRT']);
+  assert.match(fireResult.summary, /\(no data from VIIRS_SNPP_NRT\)\.$/);
+  await catalog.call('get_hud_caption', { area: { place: 'Austin' } });
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    sent[0].enabledLayers.map((layer) => [layer.id, layer.feedState]),
+    [
+      ['weather', 'stale'],
+      ['fires', 'degraded'],
+    ],
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/hazards.js b/src/tools/queries/hazards.js
index 15e80507a..c841d197b 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/hazards.js
+++ b/src/tools/queries/hazards.js
@@ -78,9 +78,24 @@ export const getActiveFires = defineTool({
       .filter((fire) => areaContains(area, fire))
       .sort((a, b) => (b.frp ?? 0) - (a.frp ?? 0));
     const result = capRows(fires, args.limit);
+    // The proxy serves its last good snapshot when a refresh fails, and marks
+    // satellites whose download failed.
+    const stale = snapshot.stale === true;
+    const missing = (snapshot.sources || [])
+      .filter((source) => source?.ok === false)
+      .map((source) => source.source);
+    const notes = [
+      ...(stale ? ['data may be stale'] : []),
+      ...(missing.length ? [`no data from ${missing.join(', ')}`] : []),
+    ];
     return {
-      summary: `${countNoun(fires.length, 'fire detection')} in ${area.label} in the last 24 hours.`,
+      summary:
+        `${countNoun(fires.length, 'fire detection')} in ${area.label} in the last 24 hours` +
+        (notes.length ? ` (${notes.join('; ')}).` : '.'),
       data: {
+        stale,
+        missing_sources: missing,
+        fetched_at: isoTime(snapshot.fetchedAt),
         ...result,
         rows: result.rows.map((fire) => ({
           lat: fire.lat,