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Ulviyya Poladova

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Wildfires and extreme heat across France, Spain, and other parts of Europe have caused an estimated €3.1 billion in economic losses during the first two months of the 2026 wildfire season, AzerNEWS reports, citing the Financial Times (FT).

According to the information, the damage caused by record-breaking temperatures and wildfires in the five hardest-hit eurozone countries France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Romania. The €3.1 billion estimate reflects the cost of restoring burned land to its pre-fire condition.

The estimate is based on the European Commission's methodology and aligns with calculations by the French government. However, it differs from the European Commission's estimate that the average annual wildfire-related damage across the European Union amounts to €2.5 billion.

The publication noted that the final economic toll is likely to be considerably higher, as the current estimate does not account for the full range of losses caused by the disasters.

European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that June 2026 was the hottest June ever recorded in Western Europe. Meanwhile, Germany's Robert Koch Institute estimated that 5,120 people had died from heat-related causes since the beginning of 2026, with the majority of fatalities occurring during the late-June heatwave, according to Reuters.

Image: Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP