Jasper wildfire now 9th-costliest natural disaster for insurance payouts in Canadas history: IBC [Video]

The wildfire that tore through Jasper National Park in late July is currently the ninth-costliest natural disaster in Canada’s history.

A representative with the Insurance Bureau of Canada presented new information at a Jasper council meeting on Tuesday morning, which revealed the insured damages for the Jasper wildfire are estimated at $880 million.

Rob Dupree, the national director with IBC, said this number includes just the insurance damages to homes, businesses and vehicles. It does not include the wildfire response costs or Parks Canada costs.

“The number of $880 million, this is for the damages to not only the destroyed homes, but the standing homes, the contents, additional living expenses, mass evacuation expenses, business interruption and also the personal and commercial vehicles that were damaged or destroyed,” Dupree explained.

Dupree outlined the Top 10 natural disasters in Canada for insurance payouts, with the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire topping the list at $4.5 billion. Two other Alberta-related events on the list …