Westland Insurance has released a wildfire preparedness and recovery guide aimed at helping businesses manage operational and insurance risks before, during and after fire season.
Titled “Before, during and after a wildfire: A business action guide,” the publication targets small and mid‑sized firms that can face evacuation orders, smoke damage, access issues and supply chain disruptions even when a fire does not directly reach their premises.
The guide is intended to support business owners with continuity planning and insurance considerations, setting out step‑by‑step actions across the wildfire lifecycle.
The guide outlines actions to reduce wildfire risk at business locations, including preparing buildings, clearing combustible materials and planning for smoke‑related disruptions that can affect employees and customers.
It explains how to stay informed during wildfire events, detailing alert systems and the differences between evacuation alerts, orders and rescinds, and what each means for business operations and decision‑making.
Ahead of any emergency, the guide sets out what records and assets should be documented and backed up to support continuity and the claims process. It also covered post‑event steps, including safety checks, documenting damage and engaging with brokers and insurers to understand how property, business interruption and contingent business interruption coverage may respond.
Westland said its advisors are available to review clients’ insurance programs, clarify how policies respond to evacuation, access issues and smoke damage, and assist with navigating claims where needed.
The launch comes after back‑to‑back severe wildfire seasons in Canada. The 2023 season was the country’s most destructive on record, with more than 18 million hectares burned and insured catastrophe losses of about $3.1 billion across all severe weather events, including wildfires. Insured damage from the Okanagan and Shuswap‑area fires alone exceeded $720 million, making them British Columbia’s costliest wildfires on record.
Economic losses have extended beyond direct fire damage. Research on the 2023 Quebec fires has estimated total economic losses in the billions of dollars, with only a portion insured, and highlighted pressure on underwriting results and the need for greater investment in prevention and resilience.
Westland’s guide reflects a broader shift toward more proactive risk‑management support, particularly in regions where wildfire‑related business interruption, civil authority orders and supply chain impacts are becoming more frequent.
Canadian market commentary has noted that rising catastrophe losses are contributing to higher premiums and closer scrutiny of property and BI wordings, including sublimits and waiting periods for evacuation‑related claims.
By encouraging clients to address defensible space, documentation and continuity planning in advance, brokers can strengthen the insurability of exposed risks and may help reduce loss severity when events occur. For carriers, better‑prepared insureds can translate into fewer total losses, shorter business interruption durations and clearer evidence at claim time, all of which are increasingly important as wildfire risk remains elevated across much of the country.
