What the industry learned from a 20-year-old wildfire
January 11, 2024 Jason ContantThe devastation of British Columbia’s Okanagan Mountain Park wildfire in 2003 was unlike anything Janna Smart had adjusted before. “It was full of raw emotion, chaos, destruction, and limited experience in handling a wildfire in a densely populated area. It…
How insurers can manage losses as NatCat events ramp up
December 18, 2023 Philip PoradoWhatever’s driving increasingly devastating storms over the past decade, one thing is certain — insurers have watched NatCat losses ramp up over the past decade. “It used to be an unusual year where you’d have more than a billion dollars…
Smoky skies expected across southern B.C. from provincial, U.S. wildfires
September 9, 2022 The Canadian PressVANCOUVER – Haze from wildfires burning in Washington state, Idaho and the British Columbia Interior is expected to create smoky skies across much of southern B.C. over the weekend. Environment Canada has posted air-quality statements for the Fraser Valley and…
Why it’s taken a year to get Lytton, B.C.’s post-wildfire rebuild underway
June 29, 2022 by David GambrillTo the naked eye, not much has changed since Lytton, B.C. was razed by a June 30, 2021 wildfire, causing an estimated $100 million in insured damage. Coming up on the fire’s one-year anniversary, debris-removal work has finally begun for…
B.C. budget includes $2.1B in disaster relief
February 23, 2022 Dirk Meissner - THE CANADIAN PRESSVICTORIA – British Columbia has earmarked $2.1 billion to fund disaster recovery efforts and future response to the threats posed by wildfires, floods and heat waves in a budget that forecasts a $5.5-billion deficit. Finance Minister Selina Robinson said Tuesday…
Evacuation orders and alerts drop in B.C. as number of wildfires holds steady
August 25, 2021 The Canadian PressVANCOUVER – Emergency Management BC says about 3,700 properties were on evacuation order on Wednesday, down from nearly 8,200 a week ago. A news release says nearly 11,300 properties were on evacuation alert – which means people must be ready…
Crews fighting wildfires in B.C. aided by cooler and unseasonably low temperatures
August 24, 2021 The Canadian PressVANCOUVER – The BC Wildfire Service says cooler and below seasonal average temperatures have helped crews fight the blazes. Fire information officer Taylor Colman says crews are seeing between three and five fires start each day compared with about 40…
Sixth First Nation in northwestern Ontario evacuating due to forest fires
August 5, 2021 The Canadian PressTORONTO – Members of a sixth First Nation in northwestern Ontario are being evacuated due to the threat posed by wildfires. The Ontario government says about 200 members of the Wabaseemoong First Nation are expected to be evacuated from the…
Hundreds more ordered out of their homes in B.C. by threatening wildfires
July 21, 2021 The Canadian PressHundreds more British Columbians have joined the thousands already forced from their homes by wildfires as several local governments ordered residents to get out Tuesday night ahead of nearby blazes. The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary declared a local state…