Delays push cost to rebuild fire-damaged Lytton, B.C., to $102M: insurance bureau

VANCOUVER -

Insurance losses from a wildfire that wiped out most of Lytton, B.C., have surged to $102 million.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says the amount has risen from an original estimate of $78 million mostly because of delays in rebuilding the village.

Bureau vice-president Arron Sutherland says it's been more than six months since fire ripped through Lytton but there are no permits to rebuild homes or businesses and greater urgency is needed.

In a news release, Sutherland says the uncertainty makes the situation harder for residents and the delays may mean fewer people will return.

He says living expenses for those whose homes were insured will also soon run out, increasing the likelihood that some residents will exhaust their finances before their homes are rebuilt.

The community is an area of archeological importance to local First Nations and Sutherland says it's critical that a respectful process begins immediately to remove debris so that significant items can be protected.