Fort McMurray wildfire "unprecendented," losses could top $2B, expert says

A wildland fire expert describes the fire at Fort McMurray as "unprecendented," saying insurable losses could exceed two billion dollars, although others say it will be even higher.

• Fort McMurray fire could cost insurers $9B, BMO predicts

"The evacuation scale, number of structures lost, there is nothing comparable in terms of economic cost,"said Mike Flannigan, professor of renewable resourcesat the University of Alberta on Thursday.

"Slave Lake insurable losses were over $700 million dollars. This is easily going to exceed a billion, we may be talking two billion. It's going to be huge."

The best thing to stop thewildfire is rain, and lots of it, he added.

"We have something in Alberta called the June monsoon, and that can't come soon enough,"Flannigan said."Often with the June monsoons we get 25mm, 50 mm."

At the very least, Flannigan said if the winds abate and temperatures remain cooler, firefighters may be able to get on the ground and contain or corral it.

The weather forecast for the Fort McMurrayarea calls forcooler temperatures and some showers for next week.

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