Energy News
FIRE STORM
Los Angeles wildfires costliest in history: Munich Re
Los Angeles wildfires costliest in history: Munich Re
by AFP Staff Writers
Frankfurt, Germany (AFP) Feb 26, 2025
German reinsurance giant Munich Re said Wednesday that last month's huge wildfires in Los Angeles had been the costliest "in the history of the insurance industry".

Munich Re, which acts as an insurer for insurers, said it expected some 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in loss claims from the fires.

The estimate was "subject to a high degree of uncertainty owing to the complexity of the losses incurred", the group said in a statement.

Nonetheless, the figure would represent "the most substantial wildfire losses in the history of the insurance industry", Munich Re said.

The conflagration around the United States' second city burned for three weeks, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.

The fires destroyed thousands of structures, affecting the affluent Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles, Malibu and the community of Altadena in the wider county.

Private meteorological firm AccuWeather has estimated the total damage and economic loss at between $250 billion and $275 billion.

The impact of the wildfires would show up in Munich Re's results for the first quarter of 2025 but the group said it was well prepared to absorb the costs from such natural catastrophes.

Munich Re had "reduced the risk (to the group) compared to maybe five years ago", chief financial officer Christoph Jurecka told reporters.

From an insurance perspective, the wildfires in Los Angeles were "no problem at all", CEO Joachim Wenning said.

"Risks that lead to major damage are part of our business," Wenning said, adding that Munich Re would continue to cover wildfires as long as the compensation was appropriate.

- Full-year result -

For 2024, the reinsurance group said it had booked a net profit of 5.7 billion euros, in line with the estimates of analysts surveyed by the financial data firm FactSet.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, Munich Re's net profit came in at 979 million euros, a three-percent decline on the same period in the previous year.

Total claims from major disasters cost the group 3.9 billion euros, 2.6 billion euros of which were related to natural catastrophes.

The most significant of these was Hurricane Helene, which swept through the southeastern United States in late September, racking up 0.5 billion euros in costs for Munich Re.

Hurricane Milton, which made landfall in Florida later last year, generated losses of 400 million euros for Munich Re in the fourth quarter.

Despite the huge damages caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, Munich Re said it still expected to see net profit rise to six billion euros in 2025.

Revenues were expected to total 64 billion euros in the year ahead, the group said.

jpl/sea/fec/rl

MUENCHENER RUECKVERSICHERUNG

Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
FIRE STORM
Fewer Fires Burn in North America Today but Pose Greater Risks
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 18, 2025
Wildfires in North American forests occur far less frequently today than they did in centuries past, yet this decline has led to a heightened risk of severe fires, according to new research published in Nature Communications. While it may seem counterintuitive, periodic surface fires historically played a crucial role in maintaining forest health by consuming excess fuel before it could accumulate to dangerous levels. The study, conducted by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental ... read more

FIRE STORM
Why Expanding the Search for Climate-Friendly Microalgae is Essential

Solar-powered reactor extracts CO2 from air to produce sustainable fuel

Zero Emissions Process for Truly Biodegradable Plastics Developed

New Green Phosphonate Chemistry Explored

FIRE STORM
Machine Learning Enhances Solar Power Forecast Accuracy

The next-generation solar cell is fully recyclable

Cuba opens solar park hoping to stave off blackouts

China to further shrink renewables subsidies in market reform push

FIRE STORM
Green energy projects adding to Sami people's climate woes: Amnesty

New Study Enhances Trust in Wind Power Forecasting with Explainable AI

Trump casts chill over US wind energy sector

US falling behind on wind power, think tank warns

FIRE STORM
EU vows to slash red tape but stick to climate goals

Japan sets new 2035 emissions cut goal

COP30 president urges most 'ambitious' emissions targets possible

Climate activists defend 'future generations', appeal lawyer says

FIRE STORM
China's CALB announces European battery plant in Portugal

SLAC to advance fusion target technology through DOE FIRE Collaboratives

Unlocking the secrets of fusion's core with AI-enhanced simulations

NRL's Mercury Pulsed Power Facility Celebrates 20 Years of Research Excellence

FIRE STORM
Trump eyes 65% staff cut at US environmental agency

Fishermen, sailing champions clean up trash-covered Rio island

Iraqi brick workers risk health, life to keep families afloat

France's parliament votes to ban some uses of 'forever chemicals'

FIRE STORM
Iraq, BP finalise deal to develop new oil fields

Greenpeace trial begins in North Dakota in key free speech case

Chinese scientists utilize SDGSAT-1 satellite for offshore oil and gas platform monitoring

BP ditches climate targets in pivot back to oil and gas

FIRE STORM
China unveils innovative dual-mode robot for planetary exploration

Perseverance Rover's Groundbreaking Soil and Rock Samples

Sols 4443-4444: Four Fours for February

Texas A&M scholar secures NASA funding to examine Martian dune dynamics

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2026 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.