Publié le The wildfires in Gironde, Landes and Var departments have resulted in approximately 25,000 claims, with losses estimated at nearly €500 million
Following the wildfires that have affected Gironde, Landes and Var departments since July 21, insurers estimate the cost of insured damage at nearly €500 million for around 25,000 claims. This initial assessment is based on figures reported up to mid-August.
Insurers remain fully mobilised to provide swift and practical responses to their policyholders and to provide them with continued support.
Since July 21, 2026, Gironde, Landes and Var departments have been hit by large-scale wildfires that have resulted in the total or partial destruction of hundreds of buildings and forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate.
In response to the situation, insurers immediately mobilised to support their policyholders and make their procedures easier. On July 27, two exceptional measures were introduced: the extension of the claim reporting deadline until August 31 and the reimbursement of temporary accommodation costs for those required by the authorities to evacuate their primary residence. Around 30,000 people benefited from this measure.
In addition to insurers direct efforts in support of their policyholders, the insurance sector also provided on-the-ground support in Le Porge from August 3 to 19, as part of the Maison France Services Victimes initiative set up by the Gironde Prefecture, and in Biscarrosse from August 4 to 6. These sessions provided those affected with information, support and guidance as they navigated the necessary procedures, alongside the various services mobilised by the Prefecture.
Loss adjusters are working together with insurers: for almost all home and business claims requiring an assessment, a site visit has either already taken place or will take place in the coming days.
Based on an initial assessment using figures reported up to mid-August, France Assureurs currently estimates the total cost of insured losses resulting from these wildfires at nearly €500 million, for approximately 25,000 claims.
Damage to private property accounts for the vast majority of claims, with around 21,000 cases, including the reimbursement temporary accommodation costs. Property damage affecting professionals (craftspeople, retail traders, businesses and farmers) and local authorities accounts for nearly 3,000 claims. This figure includes more than 1,800 claims relating to operating losses, estimated at nearly €30 million, most of which occur without direct material damage.
For comparison, the forest fires that occurred in France between June 1 and September 30, 2022, resulted in approximately 2,000 claims, for a total cost of around €80 million.
This initial assessment is likely to evolve, given the recent nature of the wildfires and the possibility for policyholders to report their losses until August 31.
Mrs Florence Lustman, President of France Assureurs: “On behalf of the entire insurance sector, I would like to express our deep solidarity and support for all those affected by the forest fires that have hit France in recent weeks. The initial assessment we are presenting today bears witness to the exceptional scale of the damage. But beyond the material damage, thousands of people have seen their daily lives profoundly disrupted. In these exceptional circumstances, insurers are fully committed on the ground alongside the public authorities to providing continued support to their policyholders.”
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Press Release – The wildfires in Gironde, Landes and Var departments have resulted in approximately 25,000 claims, with losses estimated at nearly €500 million (PDF)
