Intact Insurance has partnered with Wildfire Defense Systems (WDS) ahead of the 2024 wildfire season. This is just one of the measures that Intact Insurance has made to protect the personal property of their customers in Alberta and British Columbia.
What is Wildfire Defense Systems?
WDS is a wildfire services provider for insurance companies across North America. They have the largest ground fleet of wildfire resources in the world in addition to their extensive range of wildfire monitoring services.
WDS monitors wildfire threats to client properties and dispatches field personnel and wildland engines and tenders to threatened properties. These field personnel are trained to National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) standards.
2024 marks the first year WDS will have operations in Canada and will be deployed in Alberta and British Columbia when there is an active wildfire within 5km of an insured structure/property or an evacuation order is in place.
What Services Are WDS Providing?
If you are within the wildfire risk threshold, WDS will deploy field personnel to provide structural protection services to your property. This can include:
- Removing potential fire fuel from around the property
- Covering vents, doors, and windows to prevent stray embers from entering the home
- Setting up fire mitigation sprinklers
- In extreme cases, they may apply fire-blocking gel or other fire-retardant barriers around the house
Once the threat of wildfire has passed, they will return your property to its original state.
What Does This Mean For Intact Customers?
First and foremost, this additional coverage will not have an additional cost for Intact Insurance clients. This pilot project will only be eligible for personal property insurance in Alberta and British Columbia. Intact is piloting this service for peace of mind to their customers after a particularly dry winter with an elevated risk of wildfires.
How Much Do Wildfires Cost?
A 2023 estimate from the Canadian Underwriter estimates the cost between $700 million and $1.5 billion in damages from summer wildfires.
The 2011 wildfire in Slave Lake had a tab of $750 million for insurance providers. The 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire had an estimated cost of between $5.9 billion and $8.9 billion for insurance providers.
Conclusion
With wildfire season quickly approaching, it is increasingly important to have the right property insurance coverage. Most insurance providers will not quote home insurance policies if you are within 100km of an active wildfire. If you want to ensure you have the right home insurance coverage, talk to an Armour broker today for a complimentary policy review.
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