White Rock Lake wildfire caused estimated $77M in insurance damage

A wildfire that began on Aug. 2 in British Columbia and grew to more than 833 square kilometres is now estimated to have caused $77 million in insurance damage.

The cost estimate from the Insurance Bureau of Canada says theWhite Rock Lake fire destroyed 78 properties in the Central Okanagan.

The bureau says the fire was one of the most destructive blazes in the province this year and they are expecting more than 800 claims related to the disaster.

Aaron Sutherland, vice president of the bureau's Western region, says the growing frequency and severity of wildfires are costing more for both insurers and taxpayers.

The damage toll is comparable to the wildfire that destroyed much of Lytton, B.C., in June, causing about $78 million in insured property damage.