Wildfires pose an increasingly serious threat to heathlands. This study quantifies how hypothetical wildfires affect the recreational value of a heathland area. We conduct an on-site survey near a heathland area in Belgium to inform a semi-parametric model that accounts for cross-equation correlation and unobserved heterogeneity by means of discrete factors. We correct the estimator for on-site sampling bias. We estimate that, in the extreme case, the average recreational value of the heathland area can decrease from 325 EUR (95% confidence interval: 212–437 EUR) per person per year in the current situation to 196 EUR (125–268) in a year in which a wildfire occurs, and to 279 EUR (174–384 EUR) in the subsequent years until the heathland is recovered. We provide the first economic estimates of recreational value losses caused by wildfires in heathland areas, and these estimates can be used to enhance wildfire management policies.