Prince Harry and Meghan Markle must 'prepare now' as fire danger zone creeps closer to $29m home

Rachel Avery
·2 min read
Prince harry and meghan sitting down
(Getty Images)

Last week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markleopened their $29 million megamansion to loved ones who were forced to evacuate their homes due to the raging Los Angeles fires. The Sussexes now face potentially having to flee their own residence as Santa Ana winds could cause the fires to move closer.

Their sprawling estate is located in Montecito, which is just outside the danger zone at the moment, however, the local fire department has issued a stark warning to residents.

The area of Santa Barbara is under a red flag warning and a map showing the "extreme fire danger" area reveals it is approaching Montecito.

montecito fire deparment map
The danger zone is seen here in red

The fire department has issued advice about what to do, explaining that residents need to "be vigilant", "prepare now" and "be ready to evacuate". There are fears over further power shortages so the advice is to "keep your phones and important electronics charged". The warning, which has been shared on social media, also says: "Under these conditions, fires will grow rapidly and behave erratically. Be ready to evacuate in the event of a vegetation fire."

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The strong winds are predicted until Wednesday, which is hopefully when the containment of the fires will be more successful.

MORE ON THE FIRES

The National Weather Service (NWS) has also issued an air quality warning as the fires continue, advising residents in certain areas of LA to stay indoors at this time.

Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a church on in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood where Billy lost his home
Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a church (Getty Images)

What's happened so far?

The Palisades Fire began on January 7 and forced the evacuation of at least 30,000 residents. Since then, the Eaton Fire and Hurst Fire have started and the blazes have ripped through LA, destroying whole blocks.

The fires have killed at least 24 people and destroyed or damaged thousands of structures.

The homes of celebrities including Heidi and Spencer Pratt, Tina Knowles, Paris Hilton, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, and Anthony Hopkins have all been completely burned down during these horrific scenes.

pacific palidades fire
Pacific Palisades is unrecognisable (Getty Images)

Tom Hanks' home is one of the lucky ones that has narrowly missed the blaze, despite his neighbour's burning down. Tom's son, Chet, expressed his heartbreak on Instagram, writing: "The neighbourhood I grew up in is burning to the ground rn. Pray for the Palisades."

Flames from the Palisades Fire approach homes on January 08, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California
Pacific Palisades has a very large fire and it's going to be fuelled further by Santa Ana winds (Getty Images)

Many celebrities have rushed to save pets and belongings from their burning homes, and Rebel Wilson revealed that her home in the Hollywood Hills was threatened by fast-moving flames and her cat was in danger. Taking to Instagram, the Pitch Perfect star shared a terrifying image of the fire-lit skyline, writing, “Cannot believe this.”

Rebel also thanked her friend Ornela, who rescued her cat from the property as flames approached. "Thank you, Ornela, for saving our cat," Rebel wrote.