Residents of Canadian village razed by wildfire grapple with climate change

Tricia Thorpe and her husband Don Glasgow stand outside of their new home, a year after a wildfire entirely destroyed the western Canadian village of Lytton, British Columbia, Canada, July 24 2022. Picture: REUTERS/JENNIFER GAUTHIER

But long-term disaster mitigation plans and net-zero ambitions are running up against the realities of human impatience and reimbursement limits from insurers. Burnt-out residents, many still living in temporary accommodation, want to rebuild homes and get on with their lives. Insured damage for severe weather events across Canada hit C$2.1bn last year, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada , including C$102m for the Lytton fire. Since 1983, Canadian insurers have averaged about C$934m a year in severe weather-related losses.

The village also considered burying all its power lines to reduce fire risk, a three-year process, but is now installing temporary overhead lines instead to get the job done in nine months. In addition, the village sits within the Nlaka’pamux First Nation territory and residents require archaeological surveys to check for indigenous artefacts before rebuilding. The Lytton First Nation, part of the Nlaka’pamux, also lost dozens of homes in the 2021 fire.About 60% of Lytton residents were uninsured or underinsured, leading to delays in debris removal as residents and insurers grappled with who should pay. In March, the province said it would provide C$18.

Sutherland said while insurers see the benefit of fire resiliency, upgrades to enhance energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions will add “tens of thousands” of dollars per home.

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