Wildfires Continue to Challenge Communities Around the Globe
Monday, July 27, 2026
In this article, you’ll learn
How recent wildfires around the world are affecting communities, first responders, and healthcare teams.
Why burn care preparedness is essential during large-scale wildfire events and other emergencies.
How burn professionals support patients and communities during times of crisis.
Where healthcare professionals can access burn care education and preparedness resources.
Supporting Communities Affected by Devastating Wildfires
From North America to Europe and in many other regions experiencing increasingly frequent and severe wildfire events, communities are facing enormous challenges. Wildfires have forced evacuations, threatened critical infrastructure, displaced families, and placed extraordinary demands on firefighters, emergency responders, healthcare professionals, and health systems.
The American Burn Association recognizes the courage and dedication of everyone responding to these emergencies, including firefighters, emergency medical personnel, burn teams, rehabilitation professionals, and the countless individuals working behind the scenes to support affected communities.
Although every wildfire is different, they all reinforce a common reality: disasters require preparation, coordination, communication, and a healthcare system ready to respond.
Why Wildfire Events Matter to the Burn Care Community
Wildfires can result in complex injuries that require specialized medical care, including burn injuries, inhalation injuries, and trauma associated with emergency evacuations and rescue efforts.
Burn care teams play an essential role throughout the continuum of care, from initial assessment and stabilization to long-term recovery and rehabilitation.
During large-scale disasters, burn professionals may support:
Rapid assessment and treatment of burn injuries.
Airway management and care for patients with smoke inhalation injuries.
Coordination with emergency responders and healthcare facilities.
Transfer and referral of patients requiring specialized burn care.
Ongoing recovery support for survivors.
Preparedness and collaboration across emergency response systems help ensure patients receive timely, evidence-based care.
Wildfires Create Complex Challenges for Emergency Response
Recent wildfires have demonstrated the scale and complexity of modern fire emergencies.
In Europe, fast-moving wildfires in Spain and France have forced large-scale evacuations, threatened communities, and required thousands of emergency personnel to respond. In Canada, many wildfires occur in remote areas where access challenges can make response efforts especially difficult.
Wildfire response often requires coordination among:
Firefighters and emergency responders.
Emergency departments and trauma teams.
Burn centers and specialty care providers.
Public health agencies and community organizations.
The ability to communicate, coordinate, and transfer patients efficiently is critical during rapidly changing emergencies.
Preparing for the Next Emergency
Disasters can happen with little warning. Healthcare professionals who understand burn assessment, stabilization, and transfer considerations are better prepared to respond when burn injuries occur.
Burn preparedness includes knowledge of:
Early burn injury assessment.
Initial treatment priorities.
Fluid resuscitation principles.
Airway and inhalation injury considerations.
Patient transfer decisions and coordination with burn centers.
Education and training programs help healthcare professionals build the skills needed to respond effectively during emergencies, whether caring for individual patients or supporting large-scale disaster response.
A Message of Appreciation to First Responders and Burn Care Teams
The American Burn Association extends its deepest appreciation to firefighters, emergency responders, and healthcare professionals caring for individuals and communities affected by wildfires.
The dedication, expertise, and compassion demonstrated during these challenging events reflect the strength of the global burn care community.
To those responding on the front lines and those providing care behind the scenes: your work is seen, valued, and appreciated.
Key Takeaways
Wildfires can create significant risks for communities, first responders, and healthcare systems.
Burn care teams provide essential expertise during wildfire-related injuries and emergencies.
Preparedness, education, and collaboration strengthen disaster response.
Early assessment, stabilization, and appropriate transfer are critical components of burn care.
The global burn care community continues to support those affected by wildfire emergencies.
Expert Perspective
"The increasing impact of wildfires around the world is a reminder that preparedness is built long before disaster strikes. Burn injuries know no borders, and neither should our commitment to collaboration. By advancing education, sharing expertise, and strengthening partnerships across the global burn community, we can build more resilient systems of care and better serve patients and communities whenever and wherever they need us."
— American Burn Association President, Leopoldo Cancio, MD, FABA
Global Burn Care Resources
The American Burn Association believes advancing burn care requires collaboration across borders. We encourage healthcare professionals to explore educational resources and connect with organizations dedicated to strengthening burn prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, research, and disaster preparedness worldwide.
About the American Burn Association
The American Burn Association (ABA) is dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by burn injury through education, research, advocacy, and support for the multidisciplinary burn care community. The ABA brings together healthcare professionals, researchers, first responders, and advocates to advance burn prevention, treatment, and recovery.