The International Association of Wildland Fire has committed to promoting health and wellbeing for wildland fire practitioners, their families and support communities.

The IAWF board has approved a position paper titled IAWF Position Statement: Health & Wellbeing in the Wildland Fire Sector, which outlines actions the association will take to ensure everyone involved in the wildland fire sector is aware of mental health challenges and the available support.

The paper outlines the challenges fire practitioners often face, including remote work locations, long assignments, and extended work hours, which contribute to fatigue and high rates of stress, trauma, physical and mental injury.

According to the paper, research indicates that wildland fire practitioners are often repeated victims of direct physical, mental, psychosocial impacts, and injuries. Health and wellbeing can be improved through medical treatments as well as cultural, social, and environmental interventions, the paper says.

The paper defines health and wellbeing in the broadest terms to include cultural, social, social, ecological, physical, mental, and professional wellbeing. In the paper, the term wildland fire practitioners refers broadly to wildland fire managers, firefighters, dispatchers, aviators, land managers, scientists, agency, non-government personnel, volunteers, and contractors.

The paper, which was accepted and endorsed by the IAWF board, was written for the association by members of the diversity and inclusivity committee Phillipa McCormack, DaRon Shavers, and David Riera.

“In publishing this position paper, the IAWF has acknowledged the importance of mental health and wellbeing for the global wildland fire community,” McCormack says.

“Some health and wellbeing considerations for this [wildland fire] community are unique, but many are shared with other emergency and land management sectors, and their families and supporters. We hope that this position paper starts – and helps to maintain – critically important conversations about health and wellbeing across the sector and around the world.”

The IAWF officially launched the paper at the 18th International Wildland Fire Safety Summit and 7th Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference in Calgary, Alberta, in October 2025.

IAWF president Trevor Howard notes that all roles within the wildland fire sector are demanding.

“As climate and fire regimes change, so too will the operational tempo and effects,” Howard said. “While individual, cultural and organizational approaches to wellbeing vary, fundamentally people matter. This paper is a call to action at every level.”