Insured losses from Jasper wildfire rise to just under $1.3 billion

Permitting delays slow rebuilding one year after wildfire

EDMONTON, AB, July 25, 2025 /CNW/ - Insured losses from the Jasper wildfire are now estimated to be close to $1.3 billion, according to new data released today by Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). This is an increase of $80 million over the six-month estimate from CatIQ in January.

"One year after the second-costliest fire event in Canadian history, many residents are still working through the process of securing the proper permits to begin reconstruction of their property," said Aaron Sutherland, Vice-President, Pacific and Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada. "Despite delays, residents can rest assured that insurers will stand with them until every claim is closed."

The July 24, 2024, wildfire destroyed 358 homes and businesses in the town of Jasper. Today, only 56 (15%) are approved for reconstruction, and only two buildings are currently being rebuilt.

"The federal government recently announced that it would be expediting efforts moving forward and providing up to $5 million in additional support to cover the unexpected cost of soil testing and removal. This is a positive move and one that hopefully bolsters reconstruction efforts to begin in earnest," said Sutherland. "There's still a lot of work to do and rebuilding will take time, but there is light at the end of a very long tunnel for Jasper residents who lost so much in the fire. The people of Jasper have shown tremendous resilience, and Alberta's insurers will continue to match that spirit and support their customers every step of the way."

Alberta's insurers have been on the ground in Jasper since the first day of the fire and are continuing to provide financial support to residents who lost their homes. Insurers also coordinated and paid for the removal, de-gassing and proper disposal of about 2,300 fridges and freezers ruined by food spoilage due to prolonged power outages during several weeks of the evacuation. This coordinated residential bulk-debris-removal program is helping to reduce costs and speed up recovery in the community. In April, wildfire recovery efforts reached a significant milestone with the completion of the insurer-coordinated debris removal program.

Insured damage caused by severe weather events in 2024 surpassed $9.2 billion for the first time in Canadian history (January 2025 estimate was $8.5 billion). Last summer was the most expensive on record in Canada for catastrophic weather events, with 228,000 insurance claims and over $8 billion in insured damage. These events are placing pressure on insurance premiums in Alberta and across the country, and are important reminders of the need to increase investments in resilience and other measures to better protect communities.

Governments across Canada have a critical role to play in better protecting Canadians from natural disasters. This includes:

• Halting the construction of unprotected homes and businesses in high-risk flood and wildfire zones
• Investing in vulnerable communities to ensure they are FireSmart and better protected against flooding
• Helping homeowners understand the specific risks they face in their area
• Subsidizing home retrofits to help reduce exposure to floods and wildfires.

Canada also needs a federal coordinating agency to guide emergency preparedness and recovery so that communities across the country don't have to create unique playbooks after each catastrophic event. Every other G7 country has an agency operating in this capacity – it's time for Canada to follow suit and take a proactive approach to emergency management.

The amount of insured damage is an estimate provided by CatIQ (www.CatIQ.com) under license to IBC.

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Established in 1964, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up the vast majority of Canada's highly competitive property and casualty (P&C) insurance market.

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SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada