Most policies include fire damage, but the fine print around evacuation costs and timing could surprise you.
Standard home insurance in Canada covers wildfire damage to your house and belongings — that's the good news. The tricky part is understanding what counts as "additional living expenses" if you're evacuated, and knowing you absolutely cannot buy new coverage once fires are burning within 50 kilometres of your property. Insurance companies aren't running a charity; they price risk, not charity cases.
Here's what actually matters for regular homeowners: if you're forced to evacuate, your policy covers the extra costs of living elsewhere, but only the extra part. So if you normally spend $800 on groceries and now spend $1,200 eating out, you can claim that $400 difference. Your $150 hotel room? Covered. Your lost wages because you couldn't get to work? Probably not covered.
The reality is that most Canadians already have adequate wildfire protection through their existing home insurance — they just don't realize it. The bigger issue is making sure your coverage limits actually reflect today's replacement costs, not what your house was worth when you bought the policy five years ago.
What You Can Actually Do Today
- Call your insurance company this week and confirm your replacement cost coverage amount reflects current construction prices
- Review what counts as "additional living expenses" in your policy and keep receipts if you're ever evacuated
- Clear brush and debris within 10 metres of your house — it's the cheapest insurance upgrade you'll ever make
Insurance policies vary. Check your specific coverage details and exclusions before assuming you're protected.
