Overview
- George and Amal Clooney left their Domaine du Canadel estate in Brignoles with their nine-year-old twins after a wildfire threatened the area, and they sent a letter to Mayor Didier Brémond saying they do not yet know if their home survived and that they will help rebuild the village.
- The blaze near Brignoles burned roughly 100 hectares and forced about 600 to 700 residents to evacuate with roughly 120 people taken to an emergency shelter, according to local officials.
- Regional authorities deployed heavy resources to fight the fire, including about 250 firefighters, three Canadair water-bomber planes, two Dash aircraft, seven helicopters and dozens of ground vehicles.
- Local officials reported the Brignoles fire was brought under control and evacuees were allowed to return, though crews remained at work to extinguish hotspots and secure the perimeter before weather worsens.
- The Brignoles incident comes during an intense southern Europe fire season that has already seen a far larger Gironde blaze force hundreds of thousands from their homes and prompted national mobilization of civil and military firefighting assets.