Fire and explosion incidents are emerging as a critical business resilience challenge as ageing infrastructure, electricity instability, climate pressures and constrained emergency response capabilities converge
South African businesses are being urged to reassess their fire preparedness and response capabilities as mounting infrastructure pressures, climate-related risks and institutional capacity constraints increase the likelihood and potential severity of fire and explosion incidents.
During Fire Protection Week, forensic investigations specialist RiXForensica warns that fires should no longer be viewed solely as safety incidents but as significant operational, financial and reputational threats capable of disrupting entire value chains and communities.
The warning comes against the backdrop of the latest Allianz Risk Barometer 2026, which identifies business interruption among the world’s leading business risks while continuing to highlight fire and explosion as a significant threat to organisations in South Africa (#6 and worldwide (#9). The report draws on insights from more than 3,300 risk professionals across 97 countries and territories.
At the same time, the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2026 warns that extreme weather events, climate-related disruptions and infrastructure vulnerabilities continue to intensify risks facing economies and organisations globally.
Locally, the IRMSA Risk Report 2025/26 paints a concerning picture of South Africa’s risk landscape, citing deteriorating infrastructure, governance challenges, energy insecurity and declining state capacity among the country’s most pressing risks.
According to Gordon Maeta, Head of Fire Forensics at RiXForensica, these interconnected risks are creating conditions that businesses can no longer afford to ignore.
“Many organisations continue to think about fire risk primarily from a compliance perspective. The reality is that fire and explosion incidents have become business continuity events with potentially devastating financial, legal and operational consequences. The ability to establish the origin and cause of a fire is increasingly critical for insurers, corporate boards, regulators and law enforcement agencies.”
Maeta says businesses should be prepared for a future where fires may become more complex to manage and investigate.
“South Africa faces unique challenges. Ageing electrical infrastructure, energy instability, industrial expansion, climate-related pressures and resource constraints within some municipalities can all contribute to increased fire risk. When a major fire occurs, every minute matters. Understanding what happened and why it happened is essential not only for insurance purposes but for preventing the next incident.”
RiXForensica has observed growing concern among insurers, risk managers and corporate leaders regarding the resilience of both public and private fire prevention and emergency response capabilities.
According to Riaan van Jaarsveld, Director at RiXForensica, organisations should adopt a more strategic approach to fire risk management than ever before.
“The business community cannot afford to assume that emergency response systems will always have sufficient resources available when disaster strikes. Whether due to infrastructure constraints, competing emergencies or capacity limitations, organisations must take greater ownership of their own resilience. Fire risk management should be discussed in the boardroom alongside cyber risk, operational risk and business continuity.”
Van Jaarsveld believes independent forensic investigations have an increasingly important role to play in strengthening organisational resilience.
“Every serious fire presents an opportunity to learn. Through professional forensic investigations, organisations can uncover underlying failures, identify root causes, strengthen controls and reduce the likelihood of future losses. The real value of fire investigations is not simply determining what happened. It is helping businesses ensure it does not happen again.”
He adds that South Africa’s economic recovery depends on protecting critical infrastructure, industrial facilities, logistics hubs, warehouses, commercial properties and public assets from avoidable fire-related losses.
“The broader national conversation should not only focus on responding to fires but on preventing them. Every significant fire affects livelihoods, jobs, economic activity and investor confidence. Improving fire resilience is therefore both a business and economic imperative.”
As Fire Protection Week shines a spotlight on fire prevention and awareness, RiXForensica is calling on businesses to:
- Review fire detection and suppression systems;
- Conduct independent fire risk assessments;
- Test emergency preparedness and evacuation plans;
- Investigate previous incidents thoroughly;
- Ensure critical infrastructure is properly maintained; and
- Include forensic investigation expertise within broader risk management frameworks.
“The question is no longer whether businesses can afford to invest in fire resilience,” concludes Maeta. “The question is whether they can afford not to.”
For more articles like this click here.
If you enjoyed this website then check out our other sites: Wedding and Function, Home Food and Travel, Kids Connection, Thirsty Traveler, Bargain Buys, Boat Trips for Africa.
Need help with your online marketing then visit Agency One