George Clooney (65) and his wife Amal (48) have left their home in Southern France because of the wildfires. A spokesperson for the actor confirmed to the US magazine "People" that the family was evacuated. The Clooneys live with their nine-year-old twins Alexander and Ella in Brignoles in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, one of the areas where the fires are currently raging.
The flight became known through a letter that Clooney wrote to the mayor of Brignoles. "Dear Didier, at this moment we have no idea if our beautiful house will survive this terrible moment", it says according to the magazine.
Support promised
Instead of lamenting the possible loss of his estate, the actor addresses the people in the town in the letter. "As we leave Brignoles, we want to emphasize two things: First, we hope that you and the people of our town are well, and second, Amal and I assure you that - no matter what happens to our village - we are part of this community and will help bring it back together."
The letter ends with one sentence: "We love Brignoles and our friends who live there."
The fires are four times the size of Paris
The situation in France is dramatic. The fire zones have now reached four times the size of Paris, as the news agency "Associated Press" reports. According to "CNN", around 224,000 people in the Gironde region had to leave their homes, and another 3,000 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. In Spain, at least 63,152 people were affected. In Greece, two firefighters died during firefighting operations, as "Reuters" reports. Italy is also fighting the flames.
Why the Clooneys live in Provence in the first place
That a Hollywood star has his primary residence on a farm in Southern France is no coincidence. Clooney also owns an estate in England, a villa on Lake Como and a house near his family in Kentucky. Nevertheless, the couple decided on Provence, specifically because of the children.
"I was afraid of raising our kids in Los Angeles, in that Hollywood culture", the actor said in an October 2025 interview with "Esquire". "I felt like they would never get a real chance in life. In France, celebrity is kind of irrelevant to people. I don't want them walking around worrying about paparazzi. I don't want them to be compared to other people's famous kids."
Away from the farm and back again
Life in the countryside has a certain irony for Clooney. "I spent a good part of my childhood on a farm, and as a kid I hated the whole idea", he told the magazine. For his children, he sees it differently today: "But now, for them, it's like they're not glued to the iPad. They eat dinner with adults and have to put away their dishes. They have a much better life."
Already in February 2025 he told the "New York Times" that he never would have dreamed of living in a country house. "Growing up in Kentucky, I just wanted to get away from a farm, away from that life", said the Oscar winner. "Now I find myself in exactly that life. I'm driving a tractor and all these things. It's the best chance at a normal life."
