George and Amal Clooney were forced to leave their property in Brignoles, in the Var region, with their 9-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella. Their evacuation was ordered Wednesday evening as a violent fire spread southeast of the town and threatened several residential areas.
"We don't know if our beautiful house will survive."
Before leaving, the couple sent a letter to the mayor of Brignoles, Didier Brémond. George and Amal Clooney expressed their concern about their property, unsure whether it would withstand the fire. "Dear Didier, at this time, we don't know if our beautiful house will survive this terrible ordeal."they wrote. The couple also expressed their wish for the safety of the mayor and all the residents of the town.
600 to 700 residents urgently evacuated
The fire broke out on Wednesday around 16:47 p.m. along the RD12, between Brignoles and Camps-la-Source. Faced with the rapid spread of the flames, authorities ordered the evacuation of several areas southeast of the town. Residents of Pélicon, Tombarel, La Renarde, Les Petits Ubacs, Les Agasses, Sainte-Barbe, and Les Jausserannes were among those who had to leave their homes. Evacuations also affected the area from the Pont d'Olive bridge to the entrance of Chemin des Pourraques. In total, between 600 and 700 people were sheltered. The Brignoles exhibition hall was opened to accommodate residents. The town hall also made the underground Liberté parking garage free of charge to facilitate access and provide shelter for vehicles.
A hundred hectares covered in a few hours
Fueled by the wind and exacerbated by extremely dry vegetation, the fire burned through approximately 100 hectares in just a few hours. Aerial resources made repeated runs until nightfall. Their efforts, combined with the work of ground crews and the easing of the wind, slowed and then halted the flames' advance. Around 250 firefighters and 85 vehicles were deployed. Two Dash aircraft, three Canadair water bombers, and seven water-bombing helicopters were also mobilized to protect threatened neighborhoods and prevent the fire from spreading to more homes.
The fire was still active during the night
Despite its spread being halted, the fire remained active overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. Firefighters deployed several kilometers of hoses to continue operations on the ground, treat the fire's edges, and cool down the remaining smoldering areas. Two firefighters were injured during the operations. One suffered heat exhaustion. A second was injured in a fall and transported to the hospital in Brignoles. No cause had yet been officially established Thursday morning. Since the fire originated away from any houses, the possibility of a cigarette butt thrown from a car or a mechanical problem seemed to be ruled out at this stage. An investigation is underway to determine the precise origin of the blaze.
George and Amal Clooney promise to help Brignoles
In their letter, George and Amal Clooney assured that they would remain committed to the community, regardless of the state of their house after the fire. “Amal and I want to affirm that, whatever the fate of our village, we are part of this community and we will participate in its reconstruction.”they wrote, before adding: "We love Brignoles and the friends who live there."
Their French residence since 2021
George and Amal Clooney purchased the Domaine du Canadel, a vast estate located in Brignoles, in 2021. The couple lives there with Alexander and Ella and has made this Provençal residence their primary family home. George Clooney had explained that he chose the French countryside to offer his children a quieter life and shield them from the media attention associated with Hollywood. On Wednesday evening, this tranquility came to a sudden end when the family had to evacuate the property as the flames spread.
