Helping clients cope with wildfire smoke

As Toronto and its surroundings, and other cities across Canada, continue to be shrouded by wildfire smoke that sparks air quality alerts, it may be advisable to remind clients about the risks to both business and personal lines policyholders.

Among the protective measures clients should take are wearing masks and gloves when air quality reaches hazardous levels, says Jim Mandeville, a disaster recovery expert at First Onsite Property Restoration.

Further, homeowners or business clients also should keep windows and doors closed, and seal them if possible if an active fire is in close proximity. The more smoke you can keep out of a building in the first place, the better.

Also, set up air purifiers that can remove particulate matter from the air, and change filters on central heating and cooling systems often – “every few days or weekly depending on severity of smoke and air quality,” he says.

Recently, the company conducted a wildfire survey finding 63% of Canadians are worried about the damage caused by wildfires, and that 65% are worried about wildfire smoke.

Related: CatIQ updates loss numbers for 2024’s Jasper wildfire

Mandeville offers additional tips for clients dealing with damages related to wildfire smoke. They include:

• When cleaning, keep in mind the environment being worked in might not be safe. Wear a mask, or even a respirator, and always wear gloves.
• Smoke likes cold air, so the coldest areas of a home are most likely to suffer smoke damage.
• When trying to figure out how much smoke damage is in play, wipe down a window with a white tissue. If the tissue is light brown or brown, that’s normal household dust; grey or black dust “indicates contamination is present and area should be handled professionally to ensure safety,” Mandeville says.
• Don’t turn on any electronic devices because soot that travels with smoke can get inside the unit and contaminate circuits.
• Throw away any food that’s been exposed because smoke can contain toxins or carcinogens. Don’t eat it.
• Smoke is insidious. It permeates a property and the objects within it, and some damage may not be visible. In some cases, specialized expertise is necessary to properly assess how to clean properly.

Phil Porado

Phil, an award-winning journalist with over 30 years of experience in financial topics, has been managing editor of Canadian Underwriter for more than three years.