The active wildfires blazing across British Columbia and the Northwest Territories have prompted the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) to deploy its Virtual Community Assistance Mobile Pavilion and assist affected residents.
IBC’s V-CAMP has a team of trained experts on hand to answer general inquiries about home, business, or vehicle insurance policies, the organization said in a press release. Residents may contact Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC (1-844-227-5422) for guidance on the claims process.
Individuals can access additional information about insurance coverage during a wildfire through the IBC website.
IBC’s Western and Pacific vice president Aaron Sutherland said this year’s wildfire season has “already exceeded all records in terms of area burned in BC and across Canada.”
“Our hearts go out to the individuals and families impacted and who have been forced to evacuate or whose property may have been damaged or destroyed,” said Sutherland. “We [also] extend a heartfelt thank you to all the first responders working non-stop to protect people and property.
“While the focus remains on public safety and firefighting efforts, anyone forced to evacuate or whose property has been damaged can contact their insurance representative when ready to start the claims process.”
Over the weekend, about 30,000 residents have been ordered by the BC government to evacuate their homes as fires burned near Kelowna.
Similarly, nearly 20,000 residents had left Yellowknife after NWT officials ordered an evacuation late last week over concerns that wildfires would encroach the capital city by the weekend.
The BC Wildfire Services has reported 381 active fires as of Sunday evening, while NWT’s Department of Environment and Climate Change has tallied 236 active fires.
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