Homes across B.C. have been decimated by wildfires. Here’s what to know about your insurance

“When you come home and there’s nothing left standing and everything is levelled, you don’t know where to start,” she said.

Thorpe, who has since rebuilt, faced a daunting challenge: her home wasn’t insured.

“I was told flat out that fire was an insurable event. And because I had no insurance, not to expect any government help, which was really harsh at the time,” she said.

“My situation is not unique in this province.”

There’s still no official tally of how many homes have been lost to wildfire so far this year. But the number of families who have lost everything could number in the hundreds.

Experts who have worked through the aftermaths of wildfires say even those who are fully insured will face a long, complex process as they begin to rebuild.

“The best thing you can do for yourself is make sure you understand your insurance policy,” said Liam Corcoran, a lawyer and adjuster with Pythe Navis MDP.

“Nobody really spends the time to read or look at it unless something goes wrong.”

Corcoran said most policies insure on an “all risks” basis, which covers damage from fire, including wildfires. But that doesn’t mean the replacement process will be quick or easy.

“You’re going to get what’s called actual cash value … you’re not going to get the cost to fully buy, rebuild a brand new home unless you actually rebuild a brand new home,” he said.

“So you’re now in the midst of a construction project and that that could take years.”

‘Videotaped every room’

Annick DeGooyer lost her West Kelowna home in the 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire.

Her family had painstakingly documented their property in advance of the fire, a decision that assisted her insurance claim.

“We videotaped every room and opened every drawer and every cupboard, and so when we had to go back and do the claim for our contents, we were able to go through each room, freeze the video and write down all the things we saw,” she said.

“It’s an endless process, but without the videos, you’re relying on memory.”

Even so, she says the recovery process was slow, with multiple steps — a process that can be further delayed if a slew of wildfire-related claims creates a bottleneck in the system.

“It is a real test of patience, and some days you think we’re not any closer than we were six months ago,” she said.

Some costs of evacuating covered

Insurance Bureau of Canada vice president Aaron Sutherland said even if your home isn’t damaged by fire, your insurance policy can help with other costs associated with the emergency.

“Insurance is also there to provide support with things like hotel costs, food — any additional living expenses you’re incurring,” Sutherland said.

He said the amount you’re entitled to will vary by circumstance — for example, Summerland residents forced to flee with little to no notice may be entitled to a higher dollar amount than some others.

Sutherland said if your home has been damaged or destroyed by fire, it can take weeks to months for authorities to let people back into the area, let alone begin construction.

Still, he said, it’s important to contact your insurer to start the process of filing a claim immediately.

‘Nightmare scenario’

A worsening challenge, Corcoran said, is that many homes in remote areas are underinsured or uninsured entirely.

Thorpe’s home was uninsured because it was outside a fire protection zone — meaning it was far from a hydrant or official fire hall — and had a wood burning stove, she said.

In some areas, residents are uninsured because policies have become prohibitively expensive.

Corcoran saw this first hand working with people who lost their homes in the Bush Creek East wildfire, which forced the evacuation of more than 8,000 people in the Shuswap region.

“Insurance companies are going to charge increased premiums to right risk in those areas,” he said.

“These are private companies, so there’s no requirement for them to offer people insurance at all.”

— Michelle Ghoussoub, Simon Little