The damage from the fires that occurred this summer in France is estimated at nearly 500 million euros. According to France Assureurs, they caused about 25,000 insurance claims. The preliminary estimate is based on data collected until mid-August.
The fires that raged this summer in Gironde, Landes, and Var caused about 25,000 insurance claims with total damages of nearly 500 million euros, France Assureurs reported in a Friday statement. The president of the federation, which unites almost all insurers in France, Florence Lustman, emphasized that the preliminary results, compiled based on cases registered until mid-August, indicate “exceptional scale of damages”. The amount may increase, as those affected this year can report their damages until August 31.
Damages to individuals and businesses
The vast majority of cases concern the property of individuals — about 21,000 insurance claims have been recorded. This number includes, in particular, coverage of expenses for temporary housing for some of the 30,000 people whom the authorities obliged to evacuate from their homes. Among entrepreneurs, traders, companies, farmers, and local authorities, nearly 3,000 claims have been registered.
Among them, more than 1,800 cases were opened due to “loss of income”, that is, loss of turnover and income due to the forced cessation of economic activity. These losses, estimated at nearly 30 million euros, in the vast majority of cases occurred without direct material damage to businesses, the federation clarifies.
Historic drought and government aid
The damages from these fires significantly exceed the figures for forest fires in the summer of 2022 in France. Then, from early June to late September, about 2,000 insurance claims were registered for a total of 80 million euros. The federation assures that for almost all insurance cases related to housing or businesses and those requiring expertise, the inspection has already been carried out or will be done in the coming days.
These financial estimates came amid the summer of 2026, which in France was accompanied by repeated heat waves and historic drought. As a result of the fires, nearly 100,000 hectares of forest burned in the country — a record in 20 years of satellite observations. The largest fire occurred in Gironde, where in mid-July the fire destroyed 42,000 hectares. This is the largest fire of this scale since 1949. It did not result in any deaths, but in the village of Le Porge, 180 residential buildings were destroyed, making it the most affected settlement.
During a trip to the region in mid-August, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced his intention to “bring out the big guns”. He announced the allocation of 12 million euros in immediate aid, tax breaks for affected businesses, and acceleration of the issuance of building permits to restore destroyed housing.
Source: Le Figaro
