Jasper recovery efforts continue as insurers finish clearing debris left by 2024 wildfire

Jasper, Alta., is one step closer to full recovery, as Alberta insurers have cleared up debris left by the 2024 wildfire.

The completion of the insurer-co-ordinated program opens up residential and commercial lots for environmental testing. If conditions are sufficient, then Parks Canada can issue development permits to start reconstruction.

Alberta insurance companies are committed to supporting the rebuild, as quickly and efficiently as possible, said Aaron Sutherland, vice-president of Pacific and Western regions for the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), in a news release Friday.

"Residents have shown tremendous resilience, and insurers will be there every step of the way to support recovery efforts," Sutherland said.

"Insurers are proud to have completed the debris-removal and site preparation program, despite challenging logistics and unexpected costs."

As of this week, Parks Canada has issued about 100 development permits to start rebuilding properties that were destroyed in the fire. 

"It is our hope now that local officials and Parks Canada can work together expeditiously to issue development and building permits to get shovels in the ground and get people into their new homes as quickly as possible," said Sutherland.

Many home insurance policies have coverage limits on additional living and alternate accommodation expenses, he said.

"The sooner residents can get back home, the better it is for the families that have been impacted," he said.

Last summer was the most expensive on record in Canada for damages caused by severe weather events. The IBC recorded over 228,000 insurance claims, resulting in about $7.7 billion in insured damages.

As of late January, the bureau estimated that damages from the Jasper wildfire — which destroyed one-third of the town's buildings — cost more than $1.2 billion, making it the second-costliest fire event in Canadian history. The 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires caused $6.2 billion in damages.

Rising insurance claims due to severe weather signals a need for greater investment in resilience and other measures to protect communities, according to the IBC. Measures could include building protected homes in high-risk wildfire or flood zones and investing in more FireSmart initiatives.