Canada wildfires, US storms cause substantial losses: Aon

Canadian wildfires caused substantial losses while severe weather vexed parts of the U.S. this week, according to the Weekly Cat Report from Aon PLC’s Impact Forecasting Friday.

More than 1,900 wildfires have consumed upwards of 8.65 million acres of land in 2025, slightly above the long-term average, the report said.

One of the most destructive fires ignited on May 13 near the town of Lac du Bonnet, northeast of Winnipeg, destroying 28 structures in the Grausdin Point area. The provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta show the highest wildfire activity in the country.

Although not as severe as the 2023 season, when insurers faced over $750 million in wildfire-related losses, this year’s wildfires are expected to cause substantial economic losses, possibly in the hundreds of millions.

Events such as the Lac du Bonnet Fire and Flin Flon Area Fire alone are anticipated to exceed insured losses of $22 million, the Aon report said.

In the U.S., continuous severe weather and heavy rainfall have impacted dozens of communities across central and eastern parts of the country since June 5.

Persistent storms were most evident in Texas, and parts of the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest were also hit. “Notable” damage was seen around Lubbock, Texas.

Total economic and insured losses from severe weather and flash flooding over the past week may reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Elsewhere, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Valle del Cauca Department in west-central Colombia on June 8, with an epicenter located approximately 60 miles east of the capital Bogota. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates a high likelihood of economic losses amounting to tens of millions of dollars.