Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be compelled to evacuate their $22 million California residence as wildfires persistently ravage the region.
The fomer royal couple, along with their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, stay in Montecito, less than two hours from Los Angeles.
A representative for Southern California Edison confirmed to the Telegraph that this area is within a “high fire risk” zone. The power company also mentioned that it might consider shutdowns if the situation deteriorates further.
The Sussexes moved into the expansive nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom property in 2020, following their decision to step back from royal duties and leave the UK. Their high-profile neighbours include Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Tens of thousands of residents, including celebrities like Ben Affleck and James Woods, have already evacuated the affected Los Angeles suburbs where the fires are currently raging.
The fierce wildfires are being driven by “hurricane-force” winds. Tragically, at least two people have lost their lives in the Eaton fire one of several uncontrolled blazes sweeping across the area, authorities confirmed on Wednesday morning.
It comes as 49,000 others are under evacuation orders as the largest blaze, known as the Palisades fire, rapidly expands to 5,000 acres fanned by gusty winds and dry conditions in the Santa Monica Mountains.
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The fire, which has already razed over 1000 homes and other structures, is predicted to worsen as a significant wind storm with gusts reaching up to 160km/h fuels the flames.
After liaising with first responders tackling the fire, California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency. “By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods,” Newsom stated on Tuesday, adding that “not a few” but “many structures [were] already destroyed.”
In the meantime, local firefighters are reportedly running low on water, according to the Los Angeles Times. As of Thursday 4am AET, the Palisades Fire remains at 0% containment, say Los Angeles County fire officials.
Over 1,000 LA County fire personnel have been mobilised to combat the fire, the largest of the four active fires ravaging the area.
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