UK wildfires to ‘focus minds’ on preventative measures, says Sedgwick

As the UK roasted in record temperatures this week (19-21 July, 2022), insurers were prepared for the inevitable rise in claims as wildfires devastated property around the country.

Graham Plaister (pictured), agriculture director at  Sedgwick, said his firm was already receiving claims from wildfire damage in the past few days as the heatwave pushed temperatures above 40C for the first time.

“It is inevitable that this recent heatwave will have caused an increase in claim numbers. We are seeing heat stress claims for livestock units as well as crop fires as the land is so dry.

“Farmers were well prepared as they knew that this heatwave was coming and where possible they have moved livestock or installed fans to keep the animals from overheating. Also, livestock had time to acclimatise to the increasingly high temperatures over the course of the last few weeks.”

But, he added, in the past few weeks the firm has also been receiving claims for crop fires and heat stress claims for intensive livestock units.

Sedgwick's agriculture and rural adjusters have been in contact with agents, brokers and key policyholders to provide support and to check that farmers and producers are doing all they can to mitigate claims.

“However, every year in the summer we see claims caused by weather events; either heat or storm etc and so we are well prepared for these types of claims when they happen.”

Plaister said that as the climate continues to change, it’s more likely than ever that areas which previously appeared relatively untouched by wildfires will become "increasingly exposed" to short-, medium- and long-term environmental impacts.

This will not only affect the public but emergency services, landowners and insurers, as claims for direct and indirect damage increase.

“Farmers will also need to continue to review how they manage their livestock and land during extreme weather periods and instigate changes to help protect them from future weather events.”

There has been a gradual shift in mindset over the last few years and a recognition that people in the UK are more and more likely to experience extreme weather, he said.

“This recent heatwave will focus minds even more on the preventative measures we need to put in place, such as improving buildings or potentially clearing roads and spaces around buildings to prevent wildfires from spreading.

“We need to learn the lessons from other countries such as the US, Canada, France and Spain, which have all recently experienced the devastating environmental impact of wildfires.”

Plaister said that with any major fire there is the potential for contamination of buildings, dwellings, land and water courses, reduced air quality and increased smog production. He also flagged up the physiological effects on human, livestock and wildlife health and called on the insurance industry to do “all we can" to try and minimise the number of heat related claims in the future.

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