Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may well have to join the tens of thousands evacuating their homes amid the ongoing Los Angeles fires, thanks to the arrival of high-power winds leaving their own neighborhood on the brink of threat and officially being dubbed an “extreme danger zone.”
The LA fires have already left untold devastation in their wake — destroying 40,000 acres and claiming the lives of 24 people at last count — but Tuesday, Jan. 14 is being discussed as the most dangerous day of the wildfires yet. This is due to the arrival of fierce Santa Ana winds — dubbed “The Devil’s Winds” — which are predicted to cause “explosive fire growth.” With the powerful hurricane-force winds forecast to reach 70mph, the fires are expecting to spread further than ever.
This has led to the duke and duchess’ affluent neighborhood of Montecito to fall under a red flag warning, along with most of Santa Barbara County. As per official guidelines shared by the @montecitofire Instagram account, residents should “be vigilant,” “prepare now,” and “be ready to evacuate” at any time. Power shortages are at risk of occurring, so locals have been advised to “keep your phones and important electronic charged.” A warning reads, “Under these conditions, fires will grow rapidly and behave erratically. Be ready to evacuate in the event of a vegetation fire.”
While Harry and Meghan have been able to remain safe in their home to date, the Sussexes haven’t been idle. The pair have been actively involved in their relief effort, throwing open the doors of their $29 million mansion to those in need of shelter as well as offering donations through their Archewell Foundation. The couple were also spotted helping serve meals to local victims of the fire alongside Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of beleaguered governor Gavin Newsom.
The Sussxes are hyper-aware of the dangers bearing down on them, then, and the duo are known to have already entered “crisis mode.” Luckily for Harry and Meghan, they have an expert security team on their payroll and reports have claimed that their people are prepped and ready to go on an evacuation plan, with packs filled with emergency items for their kids, Prince Archie (5) and Princes Lilibet (3).
This is definitely not how Harry and Meghan had expected this week to go. Markle’s latest Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, was all set to land on streaming this Wednesday, but it was wisely decided that releasing a breezy cookery show set against the sunny, unburning backdrop of Southern California from last year was maybe not what people wanted to watch right now. With Love, Meghan has instead been moved back to March 4.
The good news for the Sussexes, and the whole of SoCal, is that the strong winds are only due to last until Wednesday, after which the containment of the fires can perhaps finally begin to grow more effective. If they are lucky, the family won’t have to evacuate their home and they can continue to help doing their bit for all of those who have suffered the worst start to a new year imaginable.
Published: Jan 14, 2025 02:59 pm