The insurer says it has contracted Wildfire Defense Systems to provide prevention services when a wildfire is less than five kilometres away from the homes of clients across most of British Columbia and Alberta.

The services include a range of actions that such as removing combustible materials from around the property, covering exterior vents and other openings to prevent embers from entering the home, and setting up temporary sprinkler systems.

Intact says the pilot program will come at no additional cost to eligible customers for this year's wildfire season, but did not say what it may cost in future years.

Last year saw the most destructive wildfire season ever recorded in Canada with over 18.4 million hectares torched after fires burned everywhere from the West Coast to the Atlantic provinces.

The federal government says there's risk of another catastrophic fire season as climate change and El Niño have helped create widespread drought conditions and expectations for higher-than-normal temperatures.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:IFC)

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The Canadian Press is a national wire service that provides real-time stories for more than 600 media companies.

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