Wildfire evacuation, driving safety in focus for BC employers

WorkSafeBC and Road Safety at Work are urging British Columbia employers to prepare on two fronts as wildfire activity intensifies across the province: reviewing evacuation plans and rethinking any work that involves driving.

"Employers should understand the risks that may impact their workplaces and ensure they have appropriate emergency procedures in place," said Todd McDonald, head of prevention services at WorkSafeBC, in a news release. "Emergencies and disasters can happen any time and without warning. The more prepared you are for them, the better you'll be able to respond."

Andrew Kidd, director of prevention field services at WorkSafeBC, said the starting point for every employer is a formal risk assessment of the hazards specific to their worksite.

"We really need employers to do a risk assessment, to take a look at what risks they would face," Kidd said. "They need to have clear evacuation routes, and they need to work on how they're going to communicate with workers when these things happen. When they happen, they happen quite quickly, and we want to make sure we're as prepared as possible."

What employers need in a wildfire evacuation plan

Kidd said a plan should spell out who is responsible for coordinating an evacuation, how workers will be notified, and what happens to equipment that may need to shut down before anyone leaves the site. Worker health and safety, he said, must always outrank protecting equipment or continuing operations. Employers should also monitor Emergency Info BC alerts and track fire movement and weather; this year's wildfire season is already straining outdoor workplaces across the country.

"The regulations are fairly clear about that," Kidd said. "Where there is a chance of those things, the employer really has to assess that risk and develop a plan to deal with it. It's one of those things that are growing in B.C., and we're really encouraging employers to build a plan before it does happen."

🇨🇦 Canada’s British Columbia declares state of emergency as more than 20,000 flee wildfires

The blaze in Summerland nearly doubled in size, overnight.

BC Premier said “It was like a bomb going off”.

Residents fled around midnight as flames advanced west of Okanagan Lake. pic.twitter.com/ykbd1fVA5Y

— The 100th Monkey 🦊 (@herbthefox420) August 11, 2026

Protecting workers when wildfire smoke fills the air

Not every workplace faces an evacuation order, but smoke from distant fires can still make the air difficult to breathe. Kidd said employers need to assess both indoor and outdoor air quality depending on where their workers are located.

"Wildfire smoke is quite a complex mixture of chemicals and gases, and it's certainly not good," Kidd said. "Employers need to assess indoor air quality or outdoor air quality, depending on where workers are working. For outdoor workers, can some of that work be delayed to a different time? Can we build in rest times? Can we reduce the strenuousness of the work, or have workers wear PPE like masks? We need to consider not just the healthy worker, but workers who may have some pre-existing conditions that affect them adversely."

For indoor workplaces, Kidd recommended inspecting air conditioning and filtration systems, pointing employers toward WorkSafeBC's newly updated guidance for summer heat stress planning. When controls aren't enough, he said, the answer is to stop work altogether.

"If the assessment is that the smoke is too great a hazard and the controls are not in place, it is absolutely prudent for that workplace to be shut down," he said. "The employer has the responsibility to look after the health and safety of workers, and if they can't make sure adequate controls are in place, the work needs to stop until the controls are in place, or the wildfire smoke or the heat has dissipated."

The fires in Summerland are absolutely devastating. Praying for everyone in BC affected by wildfires ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HMKh0a10Z6

— Oh Canaduh (@CanaduhOh) August 9, 2026

Driving remains a workplace during wildfire season

For the hundreds of thousands of British Columbians who drive for work, wildfire conditions add another layer of risk. Road Safety at Work noted that whenever an employee drives for work, even for an occasional trip to see a client, the vehicle is considered a workplace.

"Intense heat, smoke, and debris on the road can affect driving conditions," said Trace Acres, program director for Road Safety at Work. "If you don't need to drive through wildfire conditions, don't."

Todd McDonald echoed that guidance from a workplace-safety angle. "The best way to keep workers safe from wildfire smoke is to limit exposure," he said. "During wildfire season, employers need to monitor conditions and be prepared to change schedules or postpone travel when risks increase. Employers should also understand the individual needs of workers, such as pre-existing medical conditions that could be aggravated by wildfire smoke, and plan work accordingly."

Acres added that unnecessary trips can also interfere with emergency response. "Emergency crews need to get to fire scenes quickly," he said. "They can't be delayed by unnecessary traffic on response routes."

BC Wildfire crews face the same safety duties

Kidd was also asked about the safety obligations owed to the firefighters battling the blazes themselves, following a case in Alberta in which the province's Forestry Ministry was charged under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act after the death of a wildland firefighter.

"The firefighters in British Columbia are workers, and they deserve the same protection as any other worker," Kidd said. "We've typically been talking to BC Wildfire about their emergency procedures, their danger tree management and falling practices, and looking at areas of potential entrapment for workers. They also need to be concerned about smoke inhalation and exposure, fatigue, and musculoskeletal injuries. We work with them to do that, just like we do with any other employer."

The comments echo a recent WorkSafeBC enforcement matter involving a BC Wildfire Service ignition operation, in which inspectors found a planned burn had put firefighters at serious risk.

"If in doubt, if you think you might be affected by these things, dig into it, do your risk assessment, and make sure you've got the proper controls in place," Kidd said. "Wildfires are a reality now, even more so than in the past, and being prepared is the best way to ensure the health and safety of workers."