Clooneys Evacuate French Estate as Wildfires Rage

Due to rapidly spreading wildfires in southern Europe, George and Amal Clooney have left their 425-acre estate, Domaine du Canadel, located near Brignoles, France. Accompanied by their 9-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, the family departed uncertain of their hilltop residence's fate. In a correspondence with Brignoles mayor Didier Brémond, Clooney expressed his commitment to assisting in the community's recovery. The estate, a former wine property from the 18th century, was acquired in 2021 for €7 million (approximately $8.3 million at that time) and serves as the family's main home. It features a 10,000-square-foot main house, a tennis court, a swimming pool, a private lake, and a vineyard that is set to produce its inaugural wines in 2024. This property is part of a global real estate collection that includes Villa Oleandra in Lake Como, Aberdash House in the UK, and a condominium in Manhattan. The ongoing wildfires are exacerbated by extreme heat and strong winds, impacting France, Spain, Italy, and Greece, and have led to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands.