How to prepare your clients for wildfires

Canadians across the country are increasingly concerned about the threat of wildfires, with last year’s burning of a popular tourist destination like Jasper, Alta., searing the threat into the public consciousness.

The concern presents an opportunity for risk professionals to advise clients on how to protect their properties, and better prepare for evacuations in Canadian communities threatened by wildfires, says Curtis Azevedo, director of operations for the Prairies region at First Onsite Property Restoration.

About two-thirds (63%) of Canadians report being worried about damage caused by wildfires, according to an annual survey of 1,500 people commissioned by First Onsite.

Provincially, wildfire concerns are highest in British Columbia (82%) and Alberta (76%). Saskatchewan and Manitoba saw a steep 15-point increase in wildfire related worries from last year — rising from 48% to 63%.

Atlantic Canada also saw a sharp, 11-point increase in wildfire concern from last year, rising from 56% to 67%.

The survey was conducted before wildfire losses in Flin Flon, MB, reached the Cat threshold of more than $30 million, according to industry sources. And now Ontario is witnessing one of the largest fires in its history: Red Lake 12 has burned more than 194,000 hectares between Deer Lake and Sandy Lake First Nations in northwestern Ontario.

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“I think what struck me [about the survey results] was the increase in concern from Canadians about wildfire damage, and just generally, how much that’s increased in other areas of the country,” Azevedo tells Canadian Underwriter in an interview. “It’s been front of mind in B.C. and Alberta for some time, but we’re seeing it in the Atlantic, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, I think as a result of some really significant national news over the past couple of years….

“And with major events like Jasper happening last year in a national park, I think people would love to feel those are protected and really valued assets. Seeing the impact [Jasper’s wildfire] had on that community was significant, and brings those concerns front of mind.”

Azevedo sees this as an ideal time for property and casualty insurance professionals to advise on how Canadians can protect their homes from wildfire damage. That includes clearing back branches from the home, keeping brush and leaves cleared, and making sure people aren’t leaving debris close to the home, allowing embers to hit and cause the fire to spread. 

“Something that’s not front-of-mind, but barbecues and patio heaters have propane tanks,” added Azevedo. “You’ll want to move those away from your property to limit the explosion risk when you do have wildfire threats in the area.”

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The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, the research arm of the P&C industry, advises homeowners to keep a cleared, buffer area of between one and 10 metres from the house.

As for building materials, ICLR recommends using Class-A fire-rated roof assemblies. Metal, asphalt, clay, and composite rubber tile roofing are all possible options.

Stucco, metal, brick, concrete, and fiber-cement home siding offer superior fire resistance, ICLR says, and logs and heavy timbers are reasonably effective. But untreated wood and vinyl siding offer very little protection against wildland fire.

First Onsite’s survey shows Canadians are become increasingly anxious about calls for communities threatened by wildfire to evacuate.

Three-quarters of Canadians (76%) in the study were concerned about personal or family safety. And nearly two-thirds (62%) worried about having to leave their community in the wake of a disaster such as a fire.

Azevedo says it’s important to be prepared for an evacuation if a wildfire is approaching. He advises people to pack an evacuation bag, including key documents, a change of clothes and water, among other belongings. Plus, he says, people should stay on top of the news to see if an evacuation order has been made.

The more prepared a person is, the quicker they can leave the area in an orderly fashion, he says. That’s important, because there’s nothing worse than trying to flee a wildfire by negotiating a traffic jam in a remote community with limited road transportation routes.

“The sense of urgency becomes very important, because you know that you’re going to hit traffic, especially in some of these remote communities,” says Azevedo. “We saw images and videos of people driving in ditches to try to avoid [traffic] and get around where they could. And obviously that’s not something we would recommend.

“But ultimately, the sooner that you’re prepared to evacuate, and the preparedness that you take before those evacuation calls come in, will impact your ability to get out quickly.”

David Gambrill

David has twice served as Canadian Underwriter’s senior editor, both from 2005 to 2012, and again from 2017 to the present.