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Some people might be having a tough time when it comes to trying to buy a new home or cabin because of the wildfires that have ravaged northern Saskatchewan in recent weeks.
Because of the wildfires, some insurance companies in impacted areas in the northern part of the province have had to pause selling insurance as crews battle the blazes and attempt to protect homes, causing headaches for some who want to buy a new home or cabin near the impacted area.
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When a new home or cabin is purchased, the buyer needs to buy insurance so the home can be protected if significant events like fires occur.
Chris Guerrette, CEO of the Saskatchewan Realtors Association, said that every situation is different.
“The insurance sector actually has very specific underwriting rules for areas that have active wildfires, and that prevents someone for purchasing coverage immediately prior or at an imminent loss,” Guerrette said.
“It is a little bit case by case, but it’s also very important that in those situations people who have just bought a house or looking to buy a house really lean on their professionals to see how it impacts their case exactly.”
Guerrette mentioned most insurance companies follow the “safety first” approach before approving somebody for insurance, adding that she’s heard of instances where people haven’t been able to close the contracts on their properties because of the fires.
“We have heard of some instances of individuals who have purchased a cabin, and when the wildfires were coming, they couldn’t really close that property,” Guerrette said.
“So they had to adjust their contract and their offer just to make sure that they could pause while the wildfires were underway.
“It’s definitely very frustrating and nerve racking for individuals who are involved, but it’s always any kind of restriction on this is absolutely based on safety.”
Rob de Pruis, risk management and insurance professional with the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said things will eventually get back to normal once the wildfire situation is under control.
“You can’t get insurance when there’s an active wildfire near your community, but once that threat eases, you’re able to buy insurance,” de Pruis said.
“There’s many different representatives around Saskatchewan that you can purchase insurance from. You can even buy insurance online from different providers. So it’s important to shop around, to ask questions and to find a policy at a price that you can afford.”
He said he doesn’t anticipate rates to jump because of the wildfires.
“Fundamentally, insurance is all about risk. The wildfire risk in northern Saskatchewan is not new. That risk happens and we see many wildfires every year in the northern parts of the provinces in western Canada,” he said.
“Just because there are wildfires in northern Saskatchewan does not mean that your rates are going to be automatically increased. The insurance companies work very hard to spread out that risk to make sure that those rates are stable.”
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