That includes reviewing and understanding what kind of insurance you have.
Small wildfires that popped up over the weekend in the Okanagan are a reminder that fire season is coming. The Insurance Bureau of Canada is advising B.C. residents to check their home insurance policies to make sure they have adequate coverage.
“As reported by the BC Wildfire Service, there are more than 90 active wildfires across the province, with many still burning from last year’s record-breaking season,” said Rob de Pruis, national director of consumer and industry relations at IBC. “The 2023 wildfire season was the most destructive in British Columbia’s history, and 2024 has the potential to be another intense wildfire year.
Severe weather in 2023 caused over $3.1 billion in insured damage across Canada, including $720 million from the Okanagan and Shuswap wildfires. Insured losses related to severe weather now routinely exceed $2 billion annually. Between 2001 and 2010, Canadian insurers averaged $675 million a year in losses related to severe weather.
IBC is in discussion with the federal and provincial governments on ways to improve the climate resilience of communities across the country.