As the catastrophic forest fire continues its rampage and a state of emergency is called in Fort McMurray, insurers continue to be among the front lines of support as displaced residents seek for information about their coverage.
Ashley Reid, associate insurance advisor at The Cooperators’ Cold Lake location, says evacuated policy holders are panicked with some not knowing exactly how their losses will be covered.
“A gentleman I talked to today, he says he’s been worrying about fire for the last week and on the run for three days,” she says. “He told me, ‘I’m exhausted, my nerves are shot’ - that panic sets in (and they ask), ‘ok, what is covered and what’s not – what can be rebuilt? Can I get all of my stuff back? Will I be able to replace my things?’
“He asked: ‘I paid for my insurance, but I couldn’t really tell you what I have. Could we just go over it? … He has a family, two kids who are away from school, away from home and won’t be able to go back if his house is completely burnt.”
Roughly 80,000 Fort McMurray residents have fled the city and are being cared for in evacuation centers in surrounding areas including Edmonton and Lac La Biche. On Wednesday night, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo called for additional mandatory evacuations nearby in Anzac (located about 50 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray), Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation.
The fire has yet to be controlled, estimated to be moving at 5 km per hour and beyond the abilities of the 150 firefighters on site. New neighbourhoods have since entered the risk zone, and it remains to be seen when the extent of the damage can be assessed. Reid adds that Fort McMurray’s remote location adds another layer of complexity for insurers, as the city has only one highway and supplies are often flown in by plane. “Fort Mac is not a cheap place to live. It is a ways from any other cities, they’re a little bit remote up there,” she says. “For example, the cost of getting a new mobile home purchased isn’t so bad, but then having to travel it 400 km from the nearest city, that’s an added cost.”
She adds that for local insurers, the focus is currently on proactively locating clients and providing them with necessities as they wait for next steps. “The Cooperators already has a maximum two-hour window when you put in a claim,” she says. “With the Fort McMurray situation, it’s even more important because those people had to leave their homes and have nothing. It’s important to get them something, if they don’t have clothing or toiletries.”
