Devastating wildfires in the Okanagan and Shuswap areas resulted in $720 million in insured losses, according to estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc.
It’s a dollar amount that ranks the Southern Interior disaster the “most costly insured event” in B.C. and the 10th most costly in Canadian history. The most costly was the Fort McMurray wildfire of 2016, which amounted to a $4.3-billion insurance payout, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
“This year’s wildfire season has broken all records in terms of the amount of land burned and damage caused to homes and businesses in BC,” Aaron Sutherland, vice-president, Pacific and Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada, said.
“Our hearts go out to every individual and family who has been impacted by these wildfires, and to the firefighters who lost their lives helping to protect our communities. The wildfires’ impact is another tragic reminder of the risk BC residents face due to climate change and the increasing frequency of natural catastrophes.”
Of the two fires, the Bush Creek wildfire caused an estimated $240 million in insured damage. That fire started in mid-July and burned more than 270 structures as it tore through the area.
In addition to private property, it caused extensive damage to public infrastructure, including hydro poles.
The McDougall Creek, Clark Creek and Walroy Lake wildfires in the Central Okanagan came in at double the cost and are pegged at more than $480 million in insured damage.
In West Kelowna, officials confirmed that 70 homes were affected by the wildfires, and 20 were lost in Westbank First Nation. In Kelowna, three homes and two outbuildings were completely destroyed, with a further three being destroyed in Lake Country.
In the areas of Traders Cove and Lake Okanagan Resort, an estimated 100 structures were completely destroyed. The Lake Okanagan Resort was also destroyed.
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