As we prepare for another wildfire season in Alberta, this is the critical time to ensure you are ready if an emergency arises. This year, RMA Insurance has partnered with FireSmart™ Alberta to help provide a community scorecard. This scorecard will help communities understand where there are areas of opportunity for preventing wildfires from entering their community, as well as ensuring that adequate procedures are in place in the event of a wildfire. For more information on the community scorecard, please visit https://firesmartalberta.ca/.
This exciting new program also coincides with the 2nd Annual RMA Insurance Community Wildfire Resilience Award. Check out last year’s winner, Lac La Biche County.
Community Preparation
Here are some great steps to take to ensure the community is ready for the season:
- Ensure fire department has completed their pre-season checks.
- Ensure mutual aid agreements are up to date.
- Review Emergency Response Plan (ERP).
- Review for staff training of ERP.
- Understand who is responsible for executing the ERP.
- Review insurable assets and ensure adequate coverage is in place.
- Review to ensure any new assets are insured (i.e.: buildings, equipment, vehicles).
- Complete building assessments, making sure to note any dry or dead vegetation and then address necessary concerns.
- Regularly review Wildfire Hazard Assessments (these can be requested through local wildfire officers).
- Conduct a walk-through of building(s) to be used for emergency evacuation:
- Are there any immediate concerns that need to be addressed?
- Are there adequate supplies?
- What is the building condition overall?
- Ensure a Public Awareness Plan is in place:
- Where can your ratepayers look for up-to-date information?
- How is this communicated to your ratepayers?
- In areas prone to wildfires, encourage everyone to keep a go-bag in their vehicle throughout the season.
When a wildfire starts, it can be mere hours until it become an emergency. Make sure that everyone is ready for the season and that plans are in place should the worse-case scenario happen.
Property Preparedness – Public and Private
It is critical to ensure all properties are adequately prepared for wildfire season. Below is a guide on how to FireSmart™ any property in the spring to warrant its readiness:
The area around your building may have dry leaves, branches and other debris that may have moved in before the snow. To minimize the risk of fire, take the time to clean all debris and flammable materials. Properly dispose of any waste.
Gutter and roof cleaning in the spring is a crucial way to ensure that, if wildfire approaches, there are no flammable materials in those areas that can easily ignite from flying embers. Monthly inspection of gutters is recommended to ensure they remain clear of debris. You can also install gutter guards to prevent debris from settling in.
Maintaining your lawn or green spaces is vital to ensure the area does not become dry during the wildfire season. Water green spaces often, as well as all shrubs and plants. Pay particular attention to any green space within close proximity of the building.
Certain plants can be more flammable than others. Something to consider when checking the property is looking for plants with these qualities:
- Leaves that have a strong odor when crushed.
- Fine, dry or dead material, like bark, twigs, needles and leaves collects within plants.
- Trees, branches and stems with a gummy sap
These qualities are highly flammable and could add fuel to a wildfire if one approaches. Look to add plants that do not provide significant fuel to fires. These plants would have the following qualities:
- Moist leaves
- Water like sap with little to no odor
- Limited collection of dry or dead materials.
- Prune Trees
There are a wide variety of trees that are more resistant to fire that you can include in your landscaping. Trees such as maple, birch, popular, aspen, cherry and alder are all more fire resistant than coniferous trees (those possessing cones and needles, such as pine and fir). As part of your spring cleaning, take the time to prune any branches that are within two meters of the ground and remove any flammable debris that may have fallen.
- Create a Wildfire Evacuation Plan
Having a detailed plan in place can be crucial for responding quickly should a wildfire approach. An effective plan will help ensure a timely response. Have an emergency wildfire checklist – ensuring all items are completed when evacuating – to guarantee a successful evacuation. Items on the checklist should include:
- Does the power and water to the building need to be shut down?
- Are gates left open so emergency responders can access the area?
- Do you have a sign on the exterior door(s) indicating the building has been cleared of all personnel? (This tip is relevant for both work and at home)
- Have you cleared away any debris on exterior of building?
- Are combustibles a safe distance from building?
Additional resources and an FAQ are available below.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your risk advisor at risk@rmainsurance.com or visit RMAinsurance.com.
What happens if I send my fire trucks to another area to help? Am I covered?
There is coverage to protect the fire truck against damage and liability. It is always within best practices to ensure that you have a mutual aid agreement, and that the agreement is up to date.
What is covered if I need to commandeer equipment to assist in the fire efforts?
COMMANDEERED EQUIPMENT
There is coverage available for commandeered equipment through the Genesis property policy. Other insurers may have different coverage available, so we would always recommend that you reach out to your broker or insurance company if you require additional information.
What evacuation coverage is available?
EMERGENCY EVACUATION EXPENSE
This coverage applies to all reasonable and necessary excavation expenses incurred by the insured as a result of complying with a mandatory order that requires the evacuation of a covered location. Under the Genesis policy, there is coverage available for emergency evacuation expenses, and this coverage is subject to time limitations.
For policies placed outside of RMA Insurance, we recommend contacting your broker directly to review what evacuation related coverages may be available under your specific policy.
The following additional definitions apply to this extension:
a) Evacuation expenses mean the reasonable and necessary expenses incurred during the evacuation period to transport and house designated persons. Evacuation expenses include evacuation of designated persons, maintenance of designated persons in another location, and the return of designated persons to the covered location or, if the covered location is not habitable, to a suitable alternative location.
b) Designated persons mean:
i. Residents and lawful occupants at a covered location; and/or
ii. Those employees who are essential to implement the mandatory evacuation order at a covered location.
- 2025 RMA & Wildfire Defence Systems Canada – White Paper
- RMA Wildfire Program Assistance Guide
- FireSmart Alberta
- Government of Alberta – Alberta Wildfire
- Government of Alberta – Wildfire Status Monitor
- Alberta Chamber – Wildfire Support
- Wildfire Defense Systems
- Government of Canada – Wildfires Federal Response
- Fire & Flood Emergency Systems Ltd.
- Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta