NFPA Opens 2026 Wildfire Preparedness Funding with Focus on Worker Safety
As wildfire risks grow nationwide, NFPA’s 2026 Wildfire Community Preparedness Day funding highlights the increasing overlap between community resilience and occupational safety responsibilities.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Dec 23, 2025
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has opened the application period for project funding tied to its 2026 Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, offering new opportunities for organizations to address wildfire risks that increasingly threaten workers, facilities, and operations across the United States.
Wildfires are no longer confined to remote or seasonal events. Longer fire seasons, rising temperatures, and expanding development into wildland-urban interface areas have increased exposure for workers in construction, utilities, transportation, agriculture, emergency response, and manufacturing. Employers in fire-prone regions are facing growing pressure to strengthen preparedness efforts that protect employees while maintaining operational continuity.
NFPA’s Wildfire Community Preparedness Day program provides funding and resources for locally led projects aimed at reducing wildfire risks through mitigation, education, and planning. Projects supported by the program can include vegetation management, defensible space creation, evacuation planning, fire-resistant retrofits, and training initiatives. While the program is community-based, many of these activities directly intersect with workplace safety responsibilities.
“Wildfire preparedness is no longer just a community issue—it’s a workplace safety issue,” safety professionals note as wildfires increasingly disrupt worksites, displace employees, and create hazardous air quality conditions. Smoke exposure, limited visibility, evacuation challenges, and damaged infrastructure all pose significant risks to workers before, during, and after wildfire events.
For employers, wildfire-related hazards extend beyond immediate fire exposure. Outdoor workers face increased risks from heat stress and respiratory issues during smoke events, while indoor workers may be affected by poor indoor air quality if facilities are not adequately protected. Critical infrastructure employees, such as utility crews and emergency responders, may be required to work in high-risk conditions as part of response and recovery operations.
The NFPA program encourages proactive risk reduction rather than reactive response, an approach that aligns closely with modern occupational safety and health principles. Preparedness projects funded through the program can help organizations identify vulnerabilities, strengthen emergency action plans, and improve coordination with local fire departments and emergency management agencies.
Employers participating in or supporting preparedness projects may also benefit from improved compliance with regulatory expectations. OSHA requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards, and emergency preparedness planning is a key component of that responsibility. While OSHA does not have a wildfire-specific standard, guidance on emergency action plans, respiratory protection, hazard communication, and heat illness prevention may all apply during wildfire events.
Wildfire preparedness initiatives can also support broader safety management goals, including business continuity planning and worker engagement. Involving employees in preparedness activities can increase hazard awareness, improve evacuation readiness, and reinforce a culture of safety that extends beyond the workplace.
NFPA’s Wildfire Community Preparedness Day has historically supported hundreds of projects nationwide, emphasizing that risk reduction efforts are most effective when they are locally driven and tailored to specific hazards. For safety leaders, the funding opportunity offers a way to bridge community resilience efforts with workplace safety strategies.
Applications for 2026 project funding are open now, with selected projects receiving financial support, technical guidance, and educational materials. Projects are typically implemented in advance of Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, which is observed annually in May.
As wildfire risks continue to rise, occupational health and safety professionals are increasingly being called upon to address hazards that originate beyond the traditional workplace boundary. Programs like NFPA’s Wildfire Community Preparedness Day highlight how proactive planning, collaboration, and risk reduction can help protect workers while strengthening community resilience.
For employers operating in wildfire-prone regions, the message is clear: preparedness is not optional. It is an essential component of protecting workers, maintaining operations, and reducing the human and economic costs of wildfire events.