Global Wildfire Preparedness Tips for Business Continuity in 2026

With wildfires disrupting operations and communities across multiple continents, International SOS is urging organizations to review their risk exposure and reinforce emergency preparedness measures. From North America and Europe to parts of Asia, Latin America, Australia and Africa, wildfires are increasingly disrupting operations, travel and critical infrastructure. With risk extending far beyond the immediate fire zone, organizations should review their exposure and ensure emergency response protocols are fit for today's evolving threat landscape.

Joshua Dozor, General Manager of Medical and Security Assistance Services for the Americas at International SOS, said,

While most organizations recognize the risks posed by wildfires, a recurring challenge is translating that awareness into concrete, practiced response protocols, such as those implemented during the California wildfires in 2025.

The scale and reach of this year's fires have shown that smoke exposure, travel disruption, and cascading operational challenges are not localized threats. They are affecting businesses, employees, and communities across the country. Organizations must critically evaluate whether their emergency preparedness and their approach to employee safety and continuity reflect the reality of how these events unfold. Wildfires progress considerably faster than the decision-making process - those with a robust Duty of Care framework and emergency plan have applied forethought into the organization’s posture and policy on personnel accommodations, benefits, and resilience. For organizations that have not yet put these measures in place, real-world scenarios exist today to help inform readiness requirements.

Dr Mark Fischer, Regional Medical Director at International SOS, said,

As wildfire seasons remain disruptive, organizations should recognize that employee wellbeing can be affected long after the smoke clears. Supporting employees means addressing both the immediate physical health risks associated with smoke exposure, including respiratory and cardiovascular effects, and the longer-term mental and emotional impacts that can accompany displacement, disrupted routines and prolonged uncertainty. Organizations should be prepared to support employees throughout the entire lifecycle of a wildfire event, from providing timely health guidance and access to medical resources to leveraging tools like International SOS' Psychological Support Sessions, which equip employees with practical strategies to build resilience and navigate uncertainty long after the immediate threat has passed.

International SOS has over 40 years of experience providing security and health advice and support to organizations facing extreme natural events. Managers with operations in at-risk areas should ensure they have comprehensive procedures in place to guarantee business continuity, factoring in the potential need for evacuation or relocation of the workforce.

Top Tips for Organizations Preparing for Wildfires

1. Prioritize workforce health: Monitor air quality closely, adjust outdoor work where necessary and provide appropriate respiratory protection. Employees with respiratory, cardiovascular or other health vulnerabilities may require additional support during smoke events.
2. Set clear action thresholds: Establish predefined triggers for modifying operations, travel, outdoor work or site access when wildfire, heat or air quality conditions deteriorate. Clear thresholds enable faster decision-making during rapidly evolving incidents.
3. Strengthen crisis readiness: Regularly test crisis management, evacuation and business continuity plans. Organizations that rehearse their response are more likely to act quickly and confidently when conditions worsen.
4. Plan for cascading disruptions: Wildfires can affect more than physical safety. Assess potential impacts on power, water, telecommunications, transportation, supply chains and workforce availability.
5. Improve situational awareness: Use trusted sources to monitor wildfire developments, extreme heat, air quality and infrastructure disruptions. Early awareness helps organizations implement protective measures before risks escalate.
6. Empower rapid decision-making: Reduce delays by defining roles, responsibilities and escalation processes in advance. Organizations that can act on verified information quickly are better positioned to protect people and operations.
7. Support traveling and remote employees: Ensure employees working or travelling in affected areas understand local alerts, evacuation procedures and communication protocols, and have access to assistance if conditions deteriorate.
8. Take an integrated risk approach: Align health, security, travel risk management and operational planning to build resilience against increasingly frequent climate-related emergencies, including wildfires and extreme heat.

For more information on extreme weather preparedness, the International SOS Foundation Extreme Weather Report provides in-depth research insights, outlines unique risks that these weather events pose to employees and includes tactical strategies for building organizational resilience.

International SOS will be hosting Heat, Wildfire and Extreme Weather Preparedness webinars in the coming months.