ICBC shares wildfire preparation tips for homeowners

With the summer season comes wildfires, so the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has prepared several tips for homeowners to follow in order to prepare for the next blaze.

Wildfires can be dangerous and costly to vehicles as much as they are destructive to homes. According to the ICBC, it had received 313 wildfire-related vehicle claims totalling $2.3 million over the past five years (2017 to 2011). The insurer also noted that the wildfire that struck Lytton, BC last year accounted for 78 claims totalling $872,000.

To prepare for future wildfires, ICBC has recommended the following tips for homeowners:

• Create an emergency plan for your household, and pack a “grab-and-go” bag with emergency supplies for your vehicle.
• Keep your important documents together in a spot that is easy to find. Such documents include passports, birth certificates, Canadian citizenship documents, driver’s license, marriage certificates, insurance policies, and so on.
• If you have been placed on evacuation alert and you have multiple vehicles, consider where you park your vehicles. If your vehicle is uninsured or unlicensed, you can purchase a temporary operating permit to move the vehicle to safety.
• Drivers should refer to DriveBC.ca before travelling to avoid any areas of the province under evacuation alert or threatened by wildfires.

ICBC also recommended that drivers should have optional comprehensive or specified perils coverages to protect their vehicles against the risk of wildfire – the coverages can be purchased from an Autoplan broker before an evacuation alert or order. Those who already have these coverages may renew their policy up to 44 days before it expires.

Those with uninsured or unlicensed vehicles and ordered to evacuate are unable to purchase new comprehensive or specified perils coverage, ICBC warned. However, they can still purchase basic and collision coverages or a temporary operating permit with Basic coverage and extended third-party liability in order to have their vehicle moved. Once the vehicle has been moved to safety, owners can then purchase comprehensive or specified perils coverage.​

“We'll do everything we can to serve our customers and business partners if they're impacted by wildfires this summer," said ICBC president and CEO Nicolas Jimenez. “We're monitoring potential wildfire threats so we can assist customers and communities as quickly as possible. We urge drivers to be safe, prepare for the unexpected and pay attention to wildfire updates and follow evacuation orders."