Wildfires Put Around 20,000 Companies in Gironde Under Pressure

Bordeaux – 02.08.2026: The large-scale wildfires in Gironde are increasingly weighing on the regional economy. According to the president of the Bordeaux Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Industry, around 40,000 companies are directly or indirectly affected by evacuations, business closures and traffic disruptions. About 20,000 businesses are said to be in difficulty. The estimate therefore includes not only companies with direct fire damage but also those whose operations have been affected by closures, smoke or a lack of customers.

Together with other consular institutions, the chamber has set up a crisis unit. Through the central telephone number 3006, business owners are to be quickly referred to the appropriate contacts. The advice covers, among other things, insurance claims, urgent administrative procedures, possible financial assistance, securing business premises and resuming operations.

Companies in tourism, retail and services are particularly at risk. The fires are affecting Gironde during the summer holidays, when many businesses generate a significant share of their annual turnover. Evacuations sometimes force accommodation providers and restaurants to close. Road closures, smoke exposure and cancelled trips are also causing losses for companies whose buildings have remained undamaged.

An earlier assessment by CCI France recorded more than 6,700 affected companies in Gironde on 27 July. The figure of 40,000 now cited is based on a broader assessment: it explicitly includes the indirect economic consequences of the fires. The figures therefore describe different groups and cannot be compared directly.

The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region is also referring affected businesses to government and consular advisory services. Companies facing economic difficulties can contact the relevant labour and social authorities in Gironde. There, damage, liquidity shortages and work stoppages are to be identified as early as possible and appropriate procedures initiated.

According to CCI France, the local chambers are working with government bodies and professional associations. Support is intended, for example, for companies that are temporarily unable to employ their staff or can barely receive customers because of official safety measures. The government has made access to short-time work easier for businesses affected by the fires; benefits are decided on a case-by-case basis after the specific situation has been reviewed.

The economic consequences therefore extend far beyond the directly damaged areas. How severely individual businesses are affected depends primarily on the duration of evacuations and traffic closures. The crisis unit collects reports from companies, provides access to advice and forwards urgent concerns to the relevant public authorities.