wildfires News

Severe U.S. Weather During January Cost Insurers More Than $1B: Aon

Major weather and flood events in the U.S. during January will cost the insurance industry more than $1 billion as tornadoes hit a 17-year high, according a report published by Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfield’s catastrophe model development team. The most …

PERILS Forms Alliance with CatIQ to Provide Industry Loss Data for Canada

PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry catastrophe insurance data, has announced that it has entered a strategic alliance with Toronto-based Catastrophe Indices & Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) to provide industry loss data for Canada via the PERILS Industry Loss …

Canada’s 2016 Nat Cats Bring Record Insured Damages of $3.7B

Insured damages from Canadian natural catastrophes during 2016 topped C$4.9 billion (US$3.7 billion) – smashing the previous annual record of C$3.2 billion (US$2.4 billion) set in 2013, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. “From the wildfires that swept through …

Storms Across Southeast to Help Fight Wildfires, But Risk Still Remains

Storms roaring across the South appeared to be taking aim at some of the largest wildfires burning across the region, which could finally help firefighters in their efforts to subdue the blazes, authorities said Monday. The storm system passed over …

Burn Bans Enacted Over Much of Dry Southeast as Fires Continue

As drought-stressed forests burn across much of the South – including a blaze scorching a Manhattan-sized area of north Georgia – some traditional outdoor activities are now banned. Starting campfires, lighting fireworks, smoking cigarettes, even parking a car off-road is …

Some Form of Drought Now Covering More than 86% of Arkansas

More than 86 percent of Arkansas is in some form of drought ahead of a warm, dry winter forecast, meaning there’s little chance of immediate relief. Because of the drought, ranchers are turning to alternate sources of feed for cattle …

Search is on For Suspects Behind Southeast Wildfires, 2 Arrested in Kentucky

A wannabe weatherman was jailed for arson after admitting he started a wildfire to draw attention to his selfie videos on Facebook, his town’s police chief said Friday. Meanwhile, a Georgia sheriff appealed for help identifying the driver of a …

Wildfires Rage Throughout Southeast States, Arson Suspected

Wildfires near the Georgia-North Carolina line are spewing smoke so thick that residents are being urged to wear special masks if they must do outdoor activities. The fires – many of them suspected arsons – have prompted evacuations in Georgia, …

Foresters Say New Hampshire Drought Has Increased Threat of Wildfires

Drought conditions are making it harder to fight wildfires and New Hampshire residents should be vigilant about the increased threat, state forestry and fire officials say. Conditions range from abnormally dry to extreme drought in southern New Hampshire, making this …

1.8 Million Western U.S. Homes at Extreme or High Wildfire Risk, Report Shows

Things haven’t gone as bad as they could have so far in 2016 coming off last year’s record-setting wildfire season in the Western U.S., according to a report out today detailing wildfire risks to properties in the Western U.S. The …