While Spain ended an evacuation notice in a fire-affected area close to Madrid, France continued fighting one of its most severe wildfires in years on Wednesday, causing increasing interruptions for local enterprises.

The Bordeaux-Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Industry informed Euronews that 40,000 firms were directly or indirectly hit by the blaze and related evacuation orders. Patrick Seguin, head of the CCI Bordeaux-Gironde, calculated these involved around 200,000 jobs.

"We face an extraordinary circumstance. A mini-Covid. An economic disaster for our companies, already strained by the present economic conditions," stated Patrick Seguin, president of the Bordeaux-Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to Euronews Business.

In a separate assessment, the French Economy Ministry calculated that about 130,000 workers could not perform their duties due to the fires.

The chamber has set up a crisis hotline for businesses, which is handling an increasing volume of inquiries. Firms mainly request assistance with cash flow issues, postponed loan and tax payments, insurance matters, social security contributions, and enrolling staff in France's partial unemployment program.

Euronews Business had earlier covered the initial economic losses from the fires, such as the shutdown of key defense facilities that interrupted activities at ArianeGroup and Dassault Aviation, among others.

Although the total economic impact remains undetermined, the chamber cautioned that tourism enterprises earning up to 80 percent of their yearly revenue in the summer period might encounter serious problems.

Thirty-eight campsites and additional camping zones have been evacuated, and four have suffered from the flames, as reported by La Tribune. Approximately 4,000 vacationers were removed from lodging in Lacanau on Tuesday.

The Bordeaux-Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted that a Facebook group named Gironde Solidarité Entreprises was also formed to allow businesses to provide each other with temporary offices, storage facilities, logistics support, and other practical help.

"The overall reputation of the Gironde area and its tourism sector is suffering, but there is more. An entire part of our economy has been hit," Seguin remarked.

Seguin also called for the swift allocation of resources to offer initial aid to impacted businesses, in collaboration with government agencies, noting that "business leaders require clear indications."

The French government declared emergency assistance on Monday for companies affected by fires in Gironde, the Landes, and the Var. Businesses subject to evacuation orders can utilize the state-backed partial unemployment scheme.

A gathering is scheduled at the Economy Ministry on Thursday to deliver "more detailed responses" to affected firms, Industry Minister Sébastien Martin informed BFMTV-RMC.

Meanwhile, the area's power network needed modifications by France's national transmission system operator, RTE. The firm stated in a release that its maintenance crews had integrated with the fire service command center to organize efforts protecting electrical infrastructure vital for homes, fire stations, reception centers, telecommunications, and other essential facilities.

RTE indicated it had deactivated certain lines and electrical substations to enable firefighters to operate safely.

"At the same time, our crews are adjusting the electricity network's functioning in real time, in ongoing coordination with Enedis, to minimize the effects of any disruptions," RTE stated.

No fire-related interruptions on the electricity transmission network had been noted by local media as of Wednesday afternoon. RTE's most recent official statement, released on Tuesday, confirmed no transmission network issues were active then.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire was under control but not yet extinguished, indicating possible new outbreaks. About 42,000 hectares had been consumed, and over 220,000 individuals had been evacuated since the fire started. Around 60,000 residents were permitted to return home, though several flare-ups occurred as temperatures and winds increased.