5 Resources to Help You Protect Your Properties from Wildfires in 2021

*This post is sponsored by one of The Real Estate Investment Network’s Trusted Partners, Park Insurance. To become a contributing editor or to learn about our sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at david@reincanada.com.

Every year we remind homeowners, real estate investors, and business owners to prepare for wildfire season, and with the summer fast approaching, it’s time for us to weigh in once again. The importance is echoed even more so this time around, as this month marks the 5-year anniversary of the Fort McMurray wildfires that devastated many homes and businesses in Alberta. The fire ended up being the costliest insured natural disaster in Canadian history, with nearly $3.8 billion in claims filed.

For your convenience, we have compiled Park Insurance’s wildfire preparedness guides, complete with a valuable new resource from FireSmart Canada. Please read and take the necessary steps to protect your investments and community.

Comprehensive Resources for Forest Fire and Wildfire Preparedness 2021

Your FREE FireSmart 101 Course

In recognizing a growing need for education about taking precautions against wildfires that ravage communities across the nation, FireSmart Canada has launched a FREE online course.

The 1-hour course (it goes by fast) introduces FireSmart and its principles. It will help you better understand the need to protect your home and properties. It outlines key FireSmart disciplines, clearly defines the FireSmart home ignition zone, and more. There is a short quiz at the end of the course to ensure you comprehend the material. Don’t look at this course as a lecture; instead, consider it a tool that will empower you as a homeowner to take action!

Click here to begin the FREE FireSmart 101 course

Supplementary Guide to Protecting Your Home from Forest Fires

Once you’ve completed the FireSmart 101 course above you’ll feel more confident in your ability to protect your home and investment properties for the season. That said, it certainly helps to have some supplementary support. Please read and bookmark our 5-Step Guide to Protecting Your Home from Forest Fires.

Aside from that, it is critical to keep your backyard clean, as your trees may have shed dried leaves that could easily catch fire from even a small spark. Also, if the tree in your backyard is quite old, it is probably time for you to take better care of it and trim it at regular intervals by contacting tree services Roanoke so that its trunk does not dry up and becomes susceptible to catching fire. Extreme growth can prevent most parts of the tree from receiving sunlight, inhibiting growth. They also prevent additional branches from gaining access to nutrients and moisture.

Keeping Safe When Driving Through Roads Ravaged by Forest Fires

Protecting your household extends beyond the constraints of your property. You need to stay safe when driving on at-risk highways this summer too. View our 5 Step Guide to Keeping Safe When Driving Near Forest Fires.

For added security, you may want to look for insurance providers to choose the right car insurance in order to assist you with damage costs in the event of an accident. Wildfires are usually considered a covered peril under a comprehensive insurance policies. This means, if your vehicle is totaled, your insurance will pay for repairs or reimburse you for the car’s actual cash value. So, if you live in an area where a forest fire is imminent, you probably should have your car covered under the best car insurance reddit. This type of coverage, which is typically included with collision insurance, is intended to protect your vehicle from damage caused by an incident other than a collision.

Protecting Your Business Too

Are you a homeowner and business owner? Then you have at least two properties to secure against wildfires, and several liability concerns to contend with. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Please read and bookmark our 5-Step Guide to Minimizing the Threat of Forest Fires at Your Place of Business.

How You Can Help Prevent Forest Fires

While some causes are out of our hands (i.e., lightening strikes), many of Canada’s wildfires are caused by humans. That means many are entirely preventable. Please review and bookmark our 5-Step Guide to Reducing the Occurrence of Wildfires. Together we can make this a record-setting (low) season for forest fires.

Contact Park Insurance today to speak to a broker about how you can protect your properties through better coverage.

Chris Westrop is the Vice President of Commercial Lines at Park Insurance. He has 30 years of experience in the commercial insurance business and is a Chartered Insurance Professional with the Insurance Institute of Canada. He is also a REIN member and a regular attendee at many of our programs. Learn more about Chris and the experienced team of Commercial Insurance advisors at Park Insurance. Chris may be reached at (604) 659-3133 or cwestrop@park.ca.