George Clooney and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, evacuated their luxury French estate on Wednesday evening as a fast-moving wildfire advanced towards their property.
The couple, who have nine-year-old twins, were staying at their sprawling Domaine du Canadel estate near Brignoles when the blaze intensified. The estate spans 420 acres and includes an 18th-century manor house, vineyards, a swimming pool, and a pond.
Mayor of Brignoles, Didier Bremond, stated that the Clooneys were not under an evacuation order but chose to leave as a precautionary measure. In a letter to the mayor, George Clooney expressed his concern, writing, "At this point we have no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment." He added, "Amal and I are committed to making sure that whatever happens to our village, we are part of this community and we'll be part of making it whole."
The wildfire near Brignoles scorched approximately 321 acres and prompted the evacuation of over 600 residents. Firefighting efforts involved 270 firefighters and four water-bombing helicopters, with four firefighters reportedly sustaining injuries. Most evacuees were permitted to return home on Thursday as conditions improved.
The incident occurs as France grapples with a severe wildfire crisis. The country's largest active fire has consumed over 103,000 acres in the southwest, while another significant wildfire west of Bordeaux forced the evacuation of 220,000 people and destroyed more than 200 homes and 42,000 hectares.
Officials in the Gironde region, the area most affected by the fires, expressed cautious optimism on Thursday, noting that conditions were beginning to improve. Meanwhile, firefighters in Greece battled blazes that led to the evacuation of around 8,000 people on the island of Crete, and the deaths of at least three firefighters. In Spain, a state of emergency was lifted for a wildfire west of Madrid after authorities reported no active fronts, though a new heatwave raised concerns about potential reignitions. Other fires in Spain and Portugal also led to evacuations and required extensive firefighting resources.
Elsewhere, firefighters in Turkey worked to contain forest fires near popular tourist areas, with most of the blazes brought under control.
