The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday, June 19, edition that Canada's unusually early and severe wildfire season is causing delays and complicating the closing of real estate deals, even for homes unaffected by flames. The Globe's Erica Alini writes that wildfires can trigger moratoria on new home-insurance policies and put downward pressure on appraised values, two factors that can hamper home buyers' efforts to secure financing. They can result in added costs for both buyers and sellers. In Halifax, The Globe reports that insurers had implemented freezes on new home-insurance policies within radiuses of between 25 kilometres and 50 kilometres from the massive fire encroaching on the city's northwest in late May and early June. Insurance Bureau of Canada's Craig Stewart says pausing the issuance of new policies for properties in the vicinity of a catastrophic event is standard practice for insurers. He says, "Typically the rationale is, an insurer does not want to be taking on new risk in an area that's under imminent threat." Home deals are being pushed back because most lenders require buyers to show proof they have bought home insurance before giving money for a mortgage.