Weather, wildfire and smoke

Get weather and emergency alerts

• Canada: Environment and Climate Change Canada issues weather warnings; the WeatherCAN app sends alerts. Alert Ready sends emergency alerts to compatible cell phones, radio and TV.
• United States: the National Weather Service (weather.gov) issues watches and warnings. Wireless Emergency Alerts reach cell phones. A NOAA Weather Radio works where there is no cell service.
• Many campgrounds have no cell signal. Check the forecast before you go out of range, and carry a weather radio or satellite messenger.

Wildfire and evacuation

• Check the provincial, territorial or state wildfire map daily in fire season. In Canada, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) shows national activity; in the US, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and InciWeb show large fires.
• An evacuation alert or warning means be ready to leave. An evacuation order means leave now. Terms differ slightly between places; follow the instructions of local officials.
• Keep your vehicle fuelled, keys in one place, and essentials packed: medication, documents, phone charger, water, pet supplies.
• Know two ways out of the campground if there are two.
• If smoke or flames block the road, do not drive into them. Follow instructions from fire crews.

Wildfire smoke

• Check air quality: the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) in Canada, or the Air Quality Index (AQI) at AirNow.gov in the US.
• When smoke is heavy, cut back hard work outdoors. A well-fitted N95 or KN95 mask helps; cloth and surgical masks do little.
• People with heart or lung conditions, older adults, children and pregnant people are at higher risk. Seek medical care for chest pain or trouble breathing.

Lightning

• When thunder roars, go indoors. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck.
• Shelter in a building with plumbing and wiring, or a hard-topped vehicle with the windows up. Tents, picnic shelters and trailers with fabric walls do not protect you.
• Stay out of the water and off open ground, ridges and beaches. Keep away from tall single trees, fences and metal poles.
• Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back out.

Wind and falling trees

• In high wind, move out of tents under trees and into a vehicle or building away from trees.
• Roll in awnings and tie down canopies and loose gear.
• After a storm, look for hanging branches and leaning trees before you walk or drive under them.

Tornadoes

Tornadoes happen on the Canadian Prairies, in southern Ontario and Quebec, and across the US Plains, Midwest and South. A tent or trailer gives no protection.

• Learn where the campground's storm shelter is. If there is none, use the strongest building nearby, such as a concrete washroom, and go to an inside room away from windows.
• With no building, lie flat in a ditch or low area and cover your head. Do not shelter under a highway overpass.

Floods and flash floods

• Heavy rain upstream can flood a dry creek bed or canyon within minutes, even under blue sky. This is a serious risk in the US Southwest.
• Never drive or walk through moving water. 15 cm (6 in) of fast water can knock you down, and 30 cm (1 ft) can float a vehicle.
• Move to higher ground if water rises quickly or you hear a roar upstream.

Hurricanes and coastal storms

Hurricanes and post-tropical storms reach Atlantic Canada and the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts, mostly from August to October. Campgrounds usually close and evacuate before landfall. Leave early with your trailer; towing in high wind is dangerous.

Heat

• Drink water often, before you feel thirsty. Work in the cooler early morning and evening. Wear a hat and loose, light clothing.
• Heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, weakness, headache, nausea, dizziness. Move to shade, loosen clothing, sip water, cool the skin.
• Heat stroke is an emergency: confusion, very hot skin, fainting, sweating may stop. Call 911 and cool the person at once with water and fanning.
• Never leave children or pets in a parked vehicle or closed trailer.

Cold and hypothermia

• Hypothermia can happen in summer when people are wet and in wind, even well above freezing.
• Signs: shivering, fumbling hands, slurred speech, confusion, drowsiness. Shivering stops when it gets worse.
• Get the person out of wind and wet, remove wet clothing, wrap them in dry layers and blankets, and give warm sweet drinks if they are alert. Call 911 if they are confused or drowsy.
• Early and late season hosting in the mountains and the North brings frost and snow. Protect water lines and pack for freezing nights.

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General safety information for campground hosts, workers and campers in Canada and the US, compiled by CampHostJobs from Parks Canada, the US National Park Service, provincial, territorial and state agencies, and public health sources, October 2026. It does not replace training or the rules where you are. Always follow your employer, park staff and local officials. In an emergency, call 911.