In an article published by Insurance Business Canada, CNA’s Markham Sandulak discusses how insurance brokers can help their clients mitigate wildfire risks.

After many weeks of hyperactivity, the wildfires in Western Canada are finally starting to subside.

Since April 01 – the official start of Canada’s wildfire season – 1,563 wildfires have scorched 8,653 square kilometres of land in British Columbia, according to the provincial government, eclipsing the 10-year average for the western province. That intense activity was largely due to a series of heatwaves, as well as drought conditions linked to climate change. However, cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity rolling into September have helped to bring some of the fires under control.

The hard work does not stop when the wildfires are brought under control. With wildfire exposure increasing due to climate change, continuous urban development in the wildland-urban interface, and historic forest management practices, there’s more pressure than ever for people to shore up their wildfire risk management procedures. Insurance brokers can help their clients with this, according to Markham Sandulak (pictured), senior risk control consultant at CNA.

“Brokers can help their clients to mitigate wildfire exposure impacts in several ways by increasing the client’s awareness and understanding of wildfire exposure through education and employment of carriers’ risk control resources,” he said. “Brokers and insurance carriers can assist clients in understanding the exposure to wildfire through physical examination of the site or provision of self-assessment tools to evaluate wildfire exposure and loss susceptibility.

For more information and personal insights, read the full feature: ‘What Role Can Insurance Brokers Play In Mitigating Wildfire Risk?’ published in Insurance Business Canada.