Halifax-area wildfires caused more than $165 million in insured damage

The wildfires in the Tantallon area are estimated to have cost more than $165 million in insured damage, according to figures from the Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc.

Out-of-control wildfires that burned in the suburban area northwest of Halifax between May 28 and June 4 destroyed 151 homes, and at a peak, forced the evacuation of 16,000.

A statement from the Insurance Bureau of Canada Wednesday said about 90 per cent of the $165 million in insured damage came from personal property claims.

"The unprecedented 2023 wildfire season has devastated parts of Atlantic Canada and serves as a reminder of the increasing financial vulnerability of many Canadians due to natural catastrophes and other severe weather events,” Amanda Dean, Atlantic vice president of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with everyone whose lives have been disrupted and whose property has been damaged or totally destroyed," Dean said.

The insurance bureau did not share the estimated cost of wildfire damage in Shelburne County.

The wildfire near Barrington Lake is the largest recorded forest fire in Nova Scotia’s history, and about 150 structures in the area were destroyed — including about 60 homes and cottages.

Insured damage related to severe weather in Canada now routinely exceeds $2 billion annually, the bureau said.

With a total of $3.1 billion in insured damage from severe weather, 2022 was the third-worst year on record. By comparison, between 2001 and 2010, Canadian insurers averaged $675 million a year in losses related to severe weather.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.