Protecting Your Business During Wildfire Season.

Aug 18, 2026

Preparing Your Property, Employees, and Operations for an Increasingly Common Risk

Wildfires are no longer a concern limited to remote forests or western states. In recent years, larger and more frequent wildfires have affected businesses across North America, disrupting operations, damaging property, impacting air quality, and creating supply chain challenges for organizations located hundreds of miles from the flames.

While not every business operates in a high-risk wildfire area, every organization can benefit from understanding how wildfire season may affect its people, property, and day-to-day operations. Taking proactive steps before an emergency occurs can help reduce risk, improve preparedness, and support business continuity.

Start with Property Maintenance

One of the most effective ways to reduce wildfire risk is through routine property maintenance.

Businesses should regularly inspect their grounds for dead vegetation, overgrown landscaping, fallen branches, and combustible debris that could increase fire risk. Keeping grass trimmed, removing leaves from roofs and gutters, and properly storing flammable materials can help reduce the potential for a fire to spread.

If your business operates in an area with elevated wildfire risk, consider creating a defensible space around buildings by maintaining adequate clearance between vegetation and structures. While the specific recommendations vary by location, reducing combustible materials near buildings can help improve overall property protection.

Routine building inspections are equally important. Roofs, vents, windows, and exterior walls should be evaluated periodically to ensure they remain in good condition and provide appropriate protection against embers and other fire-related hazards.

Prepare Before an Emergency Happens

Wildfires can develop rapidly, leaving businesses with little time to react. Having a documented emergency plan in place before an incident occurs can make a significant difference during an evacuation or operational disruption.

Emergency plans should clearly identify evacuation procedures, employee communication methods, emergency contacts, and responsibilities for protecting critical business assets. Organizations should also determine how operations will continue if access to the facility becomes temporarily restricted.

Backing up important business data, maintaining current contact information, and identifying alternate work locations can help minimize disruptions if normal operations are interrupted.

Conducting periodic emergency drills and reviewing response procedures with employees helps ensure everyone understands what to do if conditions change quickly.

Consider the Impact Beyond the Flames

Even businesses located far from an active wildfire can experience operational challenges.

Smoke may reduce air quality for outdoor employees, transportation routes may be disrupted by road closures, deliveries may be delayed, and utility providers may implement public safety power shutoffs in areas facing elevated fire danger.

Organizations should monitor weather forecasts, wildfire activity, and local air quality conditions throughout wildfire season. Planning ahead for potential disruptions allows businesses to adjust schedules, communicate with customers, and protect employees when conditions worsen.

Review Your Insurance Coverage

Wildfire season is also a good opportunity to review your insurance program.

Business owners should understand what their property policies cover, verify replacement cost valuations are current, and determine whether business interruption coverage is adequate for their operations. Organizations should also maintain updated inventories of equipment, technology, and other valuable assets to simplify the claims process if damage occurs.

Reviewing coverage before an emergency allows time to address questions or identify potential gaps rather than trying to do so during a stressful event.

Technology Can Improve Preparedness

Modern technology provides businesses with valuable tools for monitoring wildfire conditions and protecting operations.

Weather alerts, wildfire monitoring platforms, air quality applications, smart building systems, connected security cameras, and environmental sensors can provide real-time information that supports faster decision-making during changing conditions.

Organizations can also use cloud-based communication platforms to notify employees of closures, schedule changes, or evacuation instructions while maintaining business continuity when normal operations are disrupted.

Preparation Supports Resilience

Wildfires are becoming an increasingly important consideration for businesses of every size. Even organizations outside traditional wildfire regions may experience smoke impacts, transportation disruptions, or supply chain delays during active fire seasons.

Preparing your property, reviewing emergency plans, maintaining appropriate insurance coverage, and leveraging technology to monitor changing conditions can help strengthen your organization’s resilience before an emergency occurs.

Wildfires may be unpredictable, but preparation doesn’t have to be. Taking proactive steps today can help protect your employees, your property, and your business when conditions change tomorrow.