As wildfires continue to burn out of control across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, new estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) peg insured losses from the Flin Flon Wildfire Complex in May and June and the La Ronge fire at close to $300 million.
“Our hearts go out to the individuals and families whose lives have been disrupted by these fires and who have lost property,” said Aaron Sutherland, Vice-President, Pacific and Western, IBC. “Rest assured that anyone whose property was damaged can contact their insurance representative when they are ready to start the claims process. Insurers are committed to protecting your tomorrow by standing with you today.”
Prolonged dry and warm conditions across much of Manitoba and Saskatchewan this spring and summer have led to volatile conditions, with a total of 780 wildfires to date this year burning close to 5 million hectares of land.
The Flin Flon Wildfire Complex was created when a number of out-of-control fires converged into one from north of Snow Lake in Manitoba to Pelican Narrows in Saskatchewan. It forced the evacuation of close to 40,000 people and resulted in insured losses totaling $249 million
Denare Beach in Saskatchewan experienced some of the most significant damage from this group of fires, with local authorities reporting hundreds of homes, structures and vehicles destroyed.
The Pisew wildfire that impacted the communities of La Ronge, Hall Lake and Air Ronge, Saskatchewan, as well as several other smaller communities, in early June caused over $50 million in insured damage.
“These events are yet another example of the growing frequency and cost of extreme weather in Canada. As disasters such as these continue to grow, they are placing pressure on insurance premiums from coast to coast,” said Sutherland, who noted both Manitoba and Saskatchewan have experienced pressures on property insurance premiums. “Amid calls for action, the solution is clear – we must properly invest in making our homes, businesses and communities more resilient against severe weather.”
With significantly heightened wildfire risk, people in Canada need governments and the private sector to continue to invest in and collaborate on solutions to protect them from severe weather disasters.
Across the country, all orders of government must prioritize measures to protect people and communities, including:
Creating a more adaptable building code framework and more stringent building code standards that account for the heightened risk of severe weather.
Supporting communities in developing wildfire preparedness plans.
Incentivizing homeowners and businesses to make homes and businesses more resilient (e.g., introduce rebates and retrofit programs).
Prioritizing nature-based solutions for fire prevention, such as controlled burns, fire-smart forestry and agricultural practices like green firebreaks and targeted grazing.
In addition, governments should help Canadians recover faster after natural catastrophes and provide dedicated funding to support timely and resilient rebuilding efforts. Canada should also take a proactive approach to emergency management so that communities across the country don’t have to create unique playbooks after each catastrophic event.
The insured loss estimates and event descriptions are provided by CatIQ (www.CatIQ.com) under licence to IBC.
