The devastating wildfires in Gironde, Landes, and Var during the summer of 2026 have caused 25,000 claims for an estimated cost of nearly 500 million euros. France Assureurs, the federation that represents almost all insurers in France, released this first assessment on Friday, August 28.
To begin with, this assessment is based on files recorded up to mid-August. According to Florence Lustman, the president of the federation, it shows “the exceptional scale of the damage.” In addition, the total may be revised upward. Victims have until August 31 to declare their losses, which is an exceptional extension.
The vast majority of claims concern private property, with about 21,000 cases recorded. Furthermore, the 500 million euro cost includes coverage of relocation expenses for some of the 30,000 people who were ordered to evacuate their homes. On the other hand, for professionals and local authorities, nearly 3,000 declarations have been recorded. Among these, more than 1,800 claims have been opened for “loss of operation,” meaning the loss of turnover and income caused by the forced halt of economic activity. These losses are estimated at nearly 30 million euros.
For example, this summer’s fire damage far exceeds that of the forest fires of summer 2022. Between June and September 2022, those fires gave rise to about 2,000 claims for a cost of 80 million euros. However, the summer of 2026 was marked by repeated heatwaves and historic drought. Nearly 100,000 hectares of forest went up in smoke in France, a record in twenty years of satellite measurements.
The largest disaster struck Gironde, where a megafire devoured 42,000 hectares in mid-July. This was unprecedented since 1949, though no deaths were reported. In the village of Le Porge, the hardest hit, 180 homes were destroyed. According to the federation, for almost all claims affecting homes or businesses, a visit has already been made or will be made in the coming days.
In mid-August, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu visited the region. He announced 12 million euros in immediate aid, tax relief for affected businesses, and faster building permits for homes to be rebuilt.
Reference
Le Monde, “Le coût des incendies en France évalué à près de 500 millions d’euros, selon France Assureurs,” published August 28, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/08/28/le-cout-des-incendies-en-france-evalue-a-pres-de-500-millions-d-euros-selon-france-assureurs_6759045_3234.html