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Wildfire readiness gap: 61% of Canadians aren't concerned despite a series of record-breaking wildfire seasons

Wildfire readiness gap: 61% of Canadians aren't concerned despite a series of record-breaking wil...

articleIntact Financial CorporationMay 7, 20265/company/intact-financial-corporation/news/wildfire-readiness-gap-61percent-of-canadians-arent-concerned-despite-a-series-of-record-breaking-wildfire-seasons
Wildfire readiness gap: 61% of Canadians aren't concerned despite a series of record-breaking wildfire seasons

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[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\nWildfire readiness gap: 61% of Canadians aren't concerned despite a series of record-breaking wildfire seasons\n\n/* Style Definitions */\nspan.prnews_span\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\na.prnews_a\n{\ncolor:blue;\n}\nli.prnews_li\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\np.prnews_p\n{\nfont-size:0.62em;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\nmargin:0in;\n}\n.prngen3{\nPADDING-RIGHT:0.17em; PADDING-LEFT:0.17em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: BOTTOM; BORDER-TOP:black 0pt; BORDER-RIGHT:black 0pt; BORDER-BOTTOM:black 0pt; BORDER-LEFT:black 0pt\n}\n.prngen2{\nPADDING-RIGHT:0.17em; PADDING-LEFT:0.17em; BORDER-TOP:black 1pt; BORDER-RIGHT:black 1pt; BORDER-BOTTOM:black 1pt; BORDER-LEFT:black 1pt\n}\n.prnml4{\nMARGIN-TOP:0em; MARGIN-RIGHT:0em; MARGIN-BOTTOM:0em; MARGIN-LEFT:0.33em !IMPORTANT\n}\n.prnbcc{\nBORDER-COLLAPSE: COLLAPSE\n}\n.prntac{\nTEXT-ALIGN: CENTER\n}\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCanada NewsWire\n\n\nAs risk is rising across Canada, Intact Insurance shares actions homeowners can take to improve home protection this wildfire season.TORONTO, May 7, 2026 /CNW/ - A recent national survey found that nearly two-thirds of Canadians (61%) remain not very or not at all concerned about wildfires1, despite an estimated 60% of Canadian communities being located in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where human settlements meet or intermingle with wildfire-prone forests and grasslands2. This striking disconnect persists even as the scale of wildfire activity continues to grow. 2025 was Canada's second-largest wildfire season on record by area burned, with approximately 8.9 million hectares affected, an area larger than the combined landmass of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, forcing the evacuation of over 75,000 people3.  \nOnce concentrated in western provinces and territories, wildfires are now increasingly reaching regions across the country that were not traditionally at risk. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC)4, the amount of land burned across Canada has surged by 81% over the previous decade. A changing climate is accelerating this trend, lengthening the wildfire season5, with hot, dry, and windy conditions that create more dry fuel, more lightning ignitions, and stronger winds to spread the flames. The result is a risk that now touches many communities co...

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