B.C. residents under fire evacuation orders may struggle to renew car and other insurance

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Drivers living near any of the many burning fires across the province of British Columbia should be aware of a potential lapse in insurance policy coverage.  According to a report by Infotel , provincial insurer ICBC has confirmed it may withhold issuing new comprehensive vehicle coverage or renewing coverage that has expired if the applicant is currently registered within an area under evacuation alert due to fire. 

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The purpose of “comprehensive coverage” is to protect your vehicle in the event it’s damaged outside of a collision. Think natural disasters, explosions, theft and vandalism, and falling or flying objects like rocks or gravel. Or, you know, forest fires. 

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B.C. residents under fire evacuation orders may struggle to renew car and other insurance Back to video

“Given the elevated risk of vehicle damage in areas under fire evacuation alerts or orders, while the alert or order is in place, we do restrict the sale of new optional coverages such as comprehensive and specified perils that cover fire and other losses,” the ICBC wrote in an email to Infotel.

For those looking to escape the smoke, perhaps in their RV, there’s more bad news: the freeze may impact that, too. 

According to another insider source in the story, those within 25-50 km of an active fire may “not be able to purchase RV, ATV (exception liability), glass, boat, condo, strata, tenant, mobile home, course of construction for new home build, or add or increase any coverages to existing insurance policies (jewelry riders, equipment such as tractors, water damage, increase home value etc) until the fire is deemed out.”