Damage from summer fires in France approached 500 million euros

Large forest fires that engulfed the French departments of Gironde, Landes and Var this summer led to about 25 thousand insurance cases. The preliminary cost of insured damage approached 500 million euros.

France Assureurs unveiled this first estimate on August 28. The calculations are based on data received by insurers until mid-August, so the final amount may still increase.

These are the fires that started on July 21 and led to the total or partial destruction of hundreds of buildings. In the most affected areas authorities had to evacuate hundreds of thousands of residents.

Most claims came from individuals

About 21 thousand registered insurance cases relate to citizens' property. This category also includes expenses for temporary housing of people who were forced to leave their primary residences by order of the authorities.

Almost 3 thousand more claims are related to damage to entrepreneurs, shops, companies, farmers and local governments.

In particular, insurers opened more than 1.8 thousand cases for compensation of losses due to forced stoppage or restriction of business operations. The total damage in this area is currently estimated at nearly 30 million euros. However, most of these cases did not involve direct physical damage to property.

Damage significantly exceeded 2022 levels

The current scale of insurance losses significantly exceeds the consequences of the major forest fire season of 2022. Then, from June 1 to September 30, about 2 thousand insurance claims were registered in France for a total of approximately 80 million euros.

Thus, the preliminary cost of damage from the current fires is already more than six times the summer 2022 figure, and the number of insurance cases is about 12 times higher.

After the massive fires began, insurers introduced special conditions for those affected. The deadline for filing damage claims was extended to August 31. In addition, companies agreed to compensate temporary housing expenses for people who were evacuated from their homes by order of the authorities.

According to France Assureurs, about 30 thousand people needed such housing assistance.

The insurance federation warns that the published 500 million euros is only a preliminary estimate. Victims can still file claims until the end of August, and evaluation of some damaged properties is ongoing.

Based on materials from: France Assureurs