France Pledges €100 Million in Wildfire Aid for Homes and Firms

August 18, 2026 by

France is mobilizing more than €100 million ($116 million) in aid to rebuild homes and issue tax relief to businesses devastated by this summer’s wildfires.

The government has allocated €12 million for the Gironde and Landes departments in the southwest, which were impacted most, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told reporters on Monday. It’s also waiving social security contributions and property tax for businesses in the region for three months.

Wildfires ravaged forests and vegetation in parts of France and other European countries as the continent suffered successive heat waves this year. Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated, many lost their homes and businesses were hit hard, especially in the tourism sector. The heat also stressed power and water systems and strained public health services.

“We are prepared to bring out the big guns,” Lecornu said. “When we talk about exemptions from social security contributions and tax revenues, you very, very quickly reach sums that exceed €100 million.”

He warned insurers that he would name those “who do not play the game” when it comes to compensating victims.

Also on Monday, Minister Serge Papin announced the creation of a €30 million guarantee fund, initially backed by public investment bank Bpifrance, the French state and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The state, local authorities and private-sector stakeholders will also provide €2 million to help revive tourism in the region.

The government plans to work with countries also hit hard by wildfires, including Portugal, Spain, Greece and Canada, to draw lessons from their experiences and better prepare for fires, Papin said at a joint press conference.

Photograph: A house destroyed by a wildfire near Lanton, France on July 29, 2026; photo credit: Wayan Barre/Bloomberg

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