Federal forecasters warn wildfire season will put B.C. at highest risk, threatening worker safety nationwide
Canada's 2026 wildfire season is shaping up to be particularly dangerous for the country's outdoor and remote workforce, with federal forecasters warning that British Columbia faces the highest and most sustained fire danger of any province this year — and that elevated risk will spread across the country as summer intensifies.
Speaking at a press conference in Ottawa today, Corey Hogan, parliamentary secretary for the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, drew an unambiguous conclusion about the trajectory ahead.
"Wildfires are becoming more intense and they're becoming more complex," Hogan said. "As the risk grows, so does the importance of working together across provinces and territories, with Indigenous partners and local authorities, and with experts in other countries who step in and help us when we need it the most."
B.C. faces season's highest and most sustained danger
According to Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) forecasting, fire danger across the country is expected to build through July, with British Columbia bearing the brunt. Hogan described it as having the "highest and most sustained" wildfire risk in Canada this season, attributing the forecast to NRCAN modelling.
The concern extends well beyond the Pacific province. Hogan noted parts of northern, central, and eastern Canada could see elevated fire danger emerge quickly over the same period, and that fire activity has already begun increasing in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories, a pattern consistent with seasonal forecasts.
The season has not been without early tragedy. Alexandru Uichita, 40, died while responding to a wildfire last week in Nova Scotia, a death that underscores the life-threatening conditions facing those who work closest to fire lines.
A direct threat to outdoor and remote workers
For safety professionals overseeing forestry crews, construction projects, pipeline operations, agriculture, and mining in remote locations, the 2026 wildfire outlook carries immediate operational consequences. Workers in these environments face compounding hazards when fire danger is elevated: smoke inhalation and degraded air quality, rapid evacuation requirements, extreme heat exposure, and the particular dangers of operating in areas with limited access to emergency services.
Wildfire smoke is among the most frequently cited occupational hazards during fire season. Fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, produced by forest fires can cause serious respiratory harm with even short-term exposure. Workers outdoors during periods of elevated smoke, including those on construction sites, in oil and gas fields, and in agricultural operations, face risks that standard respiratory hazard plans may not fully address.
For remote operations, evacuation readiness adds another layer of complexity. Industrial sites far from urban centres may have limited time to respond when fire behaviour changes suddenly. Employers operating in high-risk zones are expected to have site-specific emergency response plans that account for wildfire scenarios, including evacuation routes that can be rendered impassable by rapidly moving fire.
Safety professionals should also be reviewing their obligations under provincial OHS legislation covering outdoor air quality hazards, as several jurisdictions have strengthened guidance in recent years on protecting workers from environmental hazards including wildfire smoke.
Federal preparation and employer responsibility
The federal government has moved to strengthen national wildfire response capacity ahead of the season. Hogan confirmed that the government has supported training for over 2,000 personnel, including wildland firefighters, structural firefighters, and community wildfire protection trainees, more than doubling its original goal of 1,000 and achieving that milestone two years ahead of schedule.
"That's the pace we need to move at to protect communities and save lives," Hogan said.
Through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the government has also secured 12 new assets for the 2026 season to bolster provincial and territorial response capacity during periods of intense wildfire activity — a measure Hogan said was directly requested by provincial and territorial partners.
But federal firefighting capacity is distinct from employer obligations under occupational health and safety law. Employers responsible for outdoor and remote workers bear their own legal duty to assess wildfire-related risks, communicate hazard information to workers, and adapt work plans when conditions deteriorate.
"To all Canadians, especially those who may be worried about what this season might bring," Hogan said, "your federal government will continue to act with urgency to keep your families and communities safe."
For those managing workforces in the field, that urgency starts with a hazard assessment.
