Overview
- Aerial photos published Friday, July 31, by TMZ showed thick smoke moving near Château Miraval in Provence while the estate itself appeared undamaged in those images.
- Fire crews used helicopters and fire trucks and drew water from the estate’s private lake to hold flames back and protect buildings and vineyards on the property.
- The Miraval estate remains the subject of a long-running U.S. legal battle between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with recent filings including Jolie’s opposition to Pitt’s request for financial records back to 2017 and a June court order allowing testimony from Stoli Group-related witnesses.
- The fires are part of one of France’s worst seasons in roughly 20 years, forcing large evacuations in southern Provence and prompting nearby residents, including George and Amal Clooney, to leave their home in Brignoles.
- If the blazes reach Miraval, the damage could disrupt wine operations, trigger insurance and asset disputes and change the practical stakes of the ownership litigation for both parties.