What is the economic cost of fires in Spain? - It is estimated that extinguishing them costs around 19,000 euros per hectare
Burnt tree trunks, melted asphalt, burnt cars and destroyed buildings: Wildfires in southern Europe are leaving a trail of destruction and causing billions of euros in damage. Spain's economy in particular is at risk of being overwhelmed by the ash clouds. According to the EU's Copernicus Earth observation system, around 206,000 hectares of forests in Spain have already burned this year.
"According to the European Commission, the economic impact of the fires in Spain in 2022 amounted to approximately 7.1 billion euros, representing around 4.5% of the country's GDP. This figure reflects not only the direct costs of extinguishing the fires, but also the long-term economic consequences of the recovery of the affected areas," the experts said.
Fires often devastate local economies and disrupt trade in affected regions. "Tourism is also severely affected. Given Spain's strong dependence on tourism, the disappearance of this activity in regions affected by fires has particularly significant economic consequences."
According to the European Commission, the EU loses around 500,000 hectares of land to wildfires every year. Spain, Greece and France are among the countries where wildfires are most widespread. The economic damage goes beyond losses in tourism. It also includes loss of biodiversity, decline in forest income, soil erosion, destroyed infrastructure and property, as well as the costs of fighting the fires.
According to official figures, spending on fire prevention in Spain fell from 364 million euros in 2009 to 144 million euros in 2024. During the same period, annual spending on fighting and extinguishing fires remained stable at around 417 million euros.
Spanish forestry services company Forescat has estimated that extinguishing fires costs around 19,000 euros per hectare. Nearly 400,000 hectares of forest were burned in Spain in 2025, amounting to a cost of around 7.6 billion euros.
It is still too early to say how much it will cost Spain to put out this year's fires.
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