Wildfire Forces George Clooney's Family From French Home
The actor wrote to the mayor of Brignoles saying he did not know whether the family's estate would survive a fire that burned 247 acres in southeastern France.
George Clooney said his family was forced to evacuate their home in southeastern France as a wildfire burned nearby, his agent said Thursday.
The actor, known for the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise, made the statement in a letter to Didier Bremond, the mayor of Brignoles, a town about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Marseille, publicist Guido Gotz told The Associated Press in an email.
Addressed "Dear Didier," the letter said: "At this point we have no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment and as we evacuate Brignoles," the family wanted to "emphasize two things."
"(F)irst we hope you and the people of our city are safe and second that 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," Clooney wrote, referring to his wife, Amal, a human rights lawyer.
The fire near Brignoles broke out Wednesday afternoon and burned about 247 acres (100 hectares), local officials said. The blaze was far smaller than a vast inferno that has swept through the Bordeaux region in southwestern France in recent days.
About 700 residents were evacuated and were allowed to return to their homes Thursday after the fire was brought under control, officials added.
The French government announced in December that the Clooneys, along with their twins, Ella and Alexander, had been awarded French citizenship. The couple purchased their estate in France in 2021. In an interview with Esquire last October, Clooney described their "farm in France" as their primary residence.
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