It was a sweltering, windy August day at the 18-room eco-lodge and wildlife refuge Casa Caiman in the Pantanal—Brazil’s largest wetland and a popular jaguar safari destination—when a fire broke out. It spread fast. Within hours, the flames had traveled from the edge of the farm to the gates of the lodge, engulfing most of the 130,000-acre private reserve. Wildlife guides and lodge staff watched in horror as flames swept across the landscape, torching acuri palms and trumpet trees that served as vital habitat for jaguars, hyacinth macaws, anteaters, and tapirs. The team rushed to evacuate guests and protect employees, all while anxiously hoping the animals would make it.
Once the smoke cleared, the damage was clear. “The place that we loved, completely destroyed and covered in ash,” says Lucas Morgado, a biologist at jaguar rehabilitation nonprofit Onçafari, which is based at Caiman and offers tours there. “Everything was totally black.” His team created an emergency wildlife-aid task force by setting up water troughs for thirsty tapirs and scattering watermelons and papaya for omnivores like toucans and capuchin monkeys whose food sources had burned. But the team members couldn’t save them all. By tracking animals via radio collar, they discovered that one of their resident jaguars, Gaia, had died. “It’s really like you’re losing a relative because you spend every single day following in their footsteps. They become part of your daily life,” says Morgado. “She was a great mother, a great hunter, and she gave us amazing sightings.”
In the fire’s aftermath, Onçafari wasn’t willing to wait for the next disaster. “After this event, we created a new front for our fire, for us to do something about this new reality we are facing,” says Morgado. During the wet season, the organization now conducts prescribed burns to clear out dry brush when the risk of fire catching is low. It also trained an in-house fire crew to respond when flames break out, both at Caiman and in surrounding areas.
Other tourism businesses are adjusting, too. A year ago, the L.A. wildfires served as a stark reminder of the intense fire seasons we’re experiencing due to climate change, including in places that are world-renowned tourism destinations. Consequently, tourism organizations like lodges, resorts, and wineries find themselves playing a more hands-on role in wildfire prevention and management. In some cases, it is out of necessity: Remote properties can’t afford to wait hours (or longer) for help. But much of it comes down to a deeper responsibility and sense of stewardship for the land, the animals, and the travelers who come to experience it all.
The grassroots firefighting team at Onçafari in Brazil works towards fire prevention and containment when blazes erupt.
Photo by Bruno Carvalho/Onçafari
Training tourism staff to fight fires
In increasingly fire-prone ecosystems, internal fire brigades are learning how to operate pumps and tamp out flames. Onçafari now has a team of 25 trained responders who normally work as safari field guides and drivers. They’ve also repurposed farm equipment like tractors to cut firebreaks—lines of cleared vegetation that stop flames from advancing.
Farther north, in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, the team behind the luxe eco-lodge with thermal hot springs, Rio Perdido, formed its own firefighting troop to safeguard more than 1,400 acres of biodiverse dry forest surrounding the resort. The resort is remote, with federal and local fire crews stationed hours away, so the chance of a delayed response in the event of a fire is high. “We need to be able to fight the small ones on our own so they don’t get out of control. Now, we couldn’t possibly operate without [a fire brigade], says Gabriel Saragovia, cofounder of Rio Perdido. “Once these types of ecosystems are burned, they’re much, much slower to recover than, say, a rainforest. You’re not going back to normal. The damage is literally permanent.”
The crew—made up of more than 20 staff, including adventure guides and waiters—has completed more than 170 hours of simulations and training exercises, working closely with local fire authorities. In five years in operation, the crew has helped contain several fires, including a tricky three-day blaze in 2024 that threatened to cause massive damage.
Designing resorts to withstand wildfires
Firefighting may be a necessary line of defense, but many tourism operations are trying to stop fires before they even start. At Calamigos Ranch Resort in Malibu, California, that effort began decades ago. “In 1978, the Gerson family experienced the total loss of the ranch due to a catastrophic wildfire,” says Assistant General Manager Ramiro Mendoza. “That moment fundamentally shaped how they think about stewardship, preparedness, and responsibility.”
Since then, the team has built a robust fire-suppression infrastructure that includes pumps and reservoirs that draw from on-site lakes and pools. During high-risk periods, a custom sprinkler system can soak the grounds and lower the chances of grass igniting. To manage fuel buildup throughout the year, the team even brings in goats to graze down the brush.
Calamigos Ranch Resort in Malibu has built a fire-suppression system that includes pumps and reservoirs that draw from on-site lakes and pools.
Photos by Elizabeth Kaminski
That planning paid off in 2018, when the Woolsey Fire swept through the area. “We were able to remain resilient, protect our guests, and support firefighting efforts alongside local authorities,” Mendoza says. The 2025 L.A. fires came close but did not touch the Calamigos property, so the resort remained open, serving free breakfast burritos to any locals or first responders who needed to eat or rest.
Elsewhere in California, wineries and small hospitality businesses are using tech to stay prepared. FortressFire, a service for wildfire modeling and mitigation planning, uses satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to identify vulnerabilities, such as trees that could carry embers or areas where fire-resistant materials are missing. During recent wildfire events in Napa and Sonoma counties, winery structures were saved after the winery staff made property adjustments based on FortressFire intel even as flames reached the edge of the property.
Real-time fire monitoring
Fire prevention goes beyond fire-resilient designs. Resorts are also investing in surveillance and communication systems to stay ahead of threats.
At Onçafari, fire surveillance is now part of regular operations. Calamigos Ranch has installed camera systems across the property and maintains a rotating fire-watch crew during wildfire season. “These updates are shared not only internally, but also with our neighbors, reinforcing a community-wide early warning network,” Mendoza says. At Rio Perdido, staff use drones to monitor remote sections of their forested property and perform seasonal fire patrols.
Whether through in-house fire brigades or surveillance drones, tourism operators are now doing the work that used to fall solely on emergency crews—not least because they have realized how high the stakes are if they don’t have proactive wildfire prevention and effective firefighting. By working alongside local fire departments and communities, they’re helping protect the people and ecosystems their businesses rely on. “Fire safety here is a collective effort,” says Mendoza. “It’s about preparation, collaboration, and respect for the land.”
