Insured damage from wildfires that tore through Manitoba and Saskatchewan this spring and summer is nearing $300 million, according to new estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc.The Flin Flon Wildfire Complex, which raged from May into June, caused $249 million in insured losses after multiple out-of-control fires merged and forced nearly 40,000 people to evacuate. The fire stretched from north of Snow Lake, Manitoba, to Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan, and left hundreds of homes, buildings and vehicles destroyed in Denare Beach.Another $50 million in damage was caused by the Pisew fire in early June, which hit La Ronge, Hall Lake, Air Ronge and nearby communities..In total, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have seen 780 wildfires so far this year, burning nearly 5 million hectares of land. Prolonged heat and dry conditions created tinderbox conditions across the Prairies.“These events are yet another example of the growing frequency and cost of extreme weather in Canada,” said Aaron Sutherland of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, who warned that disasters like this are driving up premiums nationwide.The IBC is calling on governments to step up wildfire prevention and recovery measures, from tougher building codes and wildfire preparedness plans to controlled burns, fire-smart forestry and rebates for homeowners who make their properties more resilient.
