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Updated
The impact of seasonal wildfires was nearly impossible to escape in 2023, no matter where you live in Canada. In fact, in terms of area burned, 2023 was the worst year on record for wildfires in this country. So much so that even our neighbours to the south were impacted by what’s happening up here, particularly the state of New York.
The fires started in March 2023, affecting all 13 provinces, especially Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories. The total area burned as of October 2023 is over 18 million hectares – two and a half times the previous record, set in 1995.
Despite wildfires occurring relatively regularly in Canada, especially between April and September, this amount of land burned is far from normal. According to the Canadian Red Cross, wildfires burn 2.5 million hectares a year, which is nearly half the size of Nova Scotia. In 2023, wildfires burned seven times that amount, which is equivalent of three and a half Nova Scotias combined. That’s an unprecedented amount of land. As of October 2023, many of those fires are still going.
Depending on how close you are to those wildfires, you might want to keep track of them. The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System updates its map daily, so they are worth checking out. During the fire season, you can also get up-to-date wildfire reports from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).
Government of British Columbia's main website attributes 60% of wildfires to lightning and 40% to human activity. That said, these percentages likely fluctuate across the provinces, so it might be safer to assume that the split is more half and half.
Even so, given the climate in Canada has grown hotter and dryer because of climate change – a largely human-driven phenomenon – it’s hard not to place most of the blame on human activity. In fact, a study by World Weather Attribution has found that climate change has more than doubled the likelihood of extreme fire weather conditions in Eastern Canada.
Given that hot, dry, windy conditions can spread and sustain fires over long distances – which are caused by humans – it makes sense not to place blame on lightning alone, even if it is what sparks the flame.
It’s also worth noting that according to CIFFC’s reports, 2023 didn’t see significantly more fires started than the years prior – despite more land being burned. In fact, the report shows that more fires were started during the 1980s than in the decades after, strongly suggesting that climate change is the driving force behind the damage wildfires cause today.
A lot more Canadians were impacted by wildfire smoke in 2023 than in the prior years. Suddenly, even Toronto was impacted. As a result, seasonal wildfires ceased to some distant, nebulous concept, and became an everyday reality.
In addition to destroying Canada’s natural environment, wildfires produce enormous amounts of smoke, which reduces air quality and harms our health. Government of Canada’s website lists asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation, bronchitis, pneumonia and cardiovascular outcomes as some of the effects of wildfire smoke.
Wildfires start small but spread quickly. Traveling across long distances, they can easily ignite trees, brush, homes and buildings. Burning debris can be carried by wind across almost two kilometres ahead of a wildfire, further increasing the risk of more objects getting ignited.
This means that if your home sits in the area impacted by wildfires, you and your property are at risk. As a result, you, your family and the rest of your community may be forced to evacuate – often in a hurry. And if your home gets damaged or lost due to a fire, you will then also have to deal with either repairing or rebuilding it.
Because of the wildfires in 2023, almost 200,000 Canadians were placed under an evacuation order.
So, what can you do to avoid drastic consequences in the event of a wildfire? Read on to find out.
While wildfires impact a small percentage of homes in Canada, most home insurance policies will cover them – along with other types of fires. In fact, your basic policy will also cover lightning, wind and hail, all of which can lead to a fire inside your home. So, if you have home insurance, then it’s unlikely that you’re not covered for wildfires.
So, what does your home insurance actually cover when it comes to wildfires? The answer is, for the most part, everything, including:
There are certain fire-related factors that can increase your home insurance premiums, mainly the following:
Though there is little you can do to prevent a forest fire, there are steps you can take to lower the risk fire poses to your home, yourself and your loved ones. Here are some of them:
Need more information about seasonal wildfires and Canadian home insurance? We got you covered.
If you are forced to leave your home due to a mandatory evacuation order issued by the local authorities, your home insurance should provide you with enough coverage to pay for your living expenses – usually for a specified amount of time.
Most home insurance policies will cover your living expenses for up to 14 days, if forced to leave because of a mass evacuation, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. Your living expenses include the cost of temporary lodging, some travel expenses and personal necessities, such as groceries.
Note that most of the coverage will apply to things outside of what you usually spend. If your grocery bill exceeds your regular spending, you can claim the difference through your insurance. Same applies to your travel expenses. If it’s more expensive for you to travel to from where you’re lodging than from your home, then this difference can also be covered.
Your policy will specify whether you have this coverage or not and for how long. Be sure to contact your insurer in advance before making any purchases and keep all your receipts. You might need them when making a claim.
To ensure your home is protected from wildfires, consider taking the following steps:
It’s possible that you won’t be able to get home insurance if there is a wildfire already burning near your home. Insurance policies exist primarily for long-term protection against unexpected perils. An active wildfire – usually within 50 kilometres of your home or less – will likely deem you as too risky to protect until the threat is over. The same applies if you are up for renewal and wish to add extra coverage. That coverage won’t come into effect if you’re already threatened by what’s being covered.
That’s why we recommend buying the right home insurance coverage in advance – to avoid issues down the road.
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