Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Open Up $14.65 Million Montecito Mansion to Evacuated Friends Amid California Wildfires

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have opened up their sprawling $14.65 million Montecito mansion to their friends who have been evacuated from their homes amid the ongoing California wildfires, according to a new report.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in a lavish nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom home that is about 91 miles north west of Los Angeles, where more than 180,000 have been placed under evacuation orders since Jan. 7, when wildfires began ripping through multiple communities, including Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Altadena, and Hollywood.

Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, live outside of the evacuation zones and are not thought to have been directly impacted by the fires; however, local energy provider Southern California Edison announced on its website that Montecito is considered a “high fire risk area” and may be subject to power shutoffs in order to prevent the spread of wildfires.

Now, as the fires continue to tear through L.A., People reports that the Sussexes, who share two children, are welcoming any loved ones who have been forced from their own homes into their lavish property, which they purchased in 2020.

The outlet did not reveal which friends this offer has been extended to, simply stating that it can “confirm that the couple have opened their home to friends and loved ones forced to evacuate.”

The news comes after Harry and Meghan released an official statement about the fires on their Sussex.com website, where they shared several resources for those impacted by the fires while also urging those who are able to do so to offer sanctuary to their displaced loved ones.

“If a friend, loved one, or pet has to evacuate and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do. And be sure to check in with any disabled or elderly neighbors to see if they need help evacuating,” they wrote.

The California wildfires first broke out on Jan. 7 when a blaze began tearing through the celebrity-loved enclave of Pacific Palisades before burning towards Malibu and Santa Monica. Thus far, that fire has spread across close to 20,000 acres, per Cal Fire, which reports that the blaze is currently at six percent containment.

However, five other fires have since broken out—only one of which, the Sunset Fire, has been fully contained.

The Eaton Fire, which ravaged the community of Altadena, where A-listers like Mandy Moore and Cameron Mathison live, has burned through 13,690 acres and is at zero percent containment.

Three other fires are currently active: the Kenneth Fire, which broke out on Jan. 9, the Hurst Fire, and the Lidia Fire, which is at 75 percent containment.

Multiple celebrities have seen their homes destroyed in the blazes, with Paris Hilton revealing in a recent Instagram post that her $8.4 million Malibu home had been completely decimated by the flames, which have also obliterated properties belonging to Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, Anna Faris, Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman, and Adam Brody and Leighton Meester.

The full extent of the damage from the fires is not yet known, however the Los Angeles Times reports that 10 people are now believed to have been killed in the fires, which have destroyed or damaged 9,000 structures.

While Harry and Meghan’s mansion—where they live with son Archie and daughter Lilibet—is located outside of the areas that have been impacted by the blazes, they are understood to have several friends who live in the evacuation zones.

Meghan’s former “Suits” co-star Abigail Spencer, to whom she has remained close since leaving the show, purchased a home in Studio City in 2016. A fire broke out in a home in that area where a property collapsed as a result of the blaze.

Abigail, 43, has long been a close confidante of Meghan’s and even appears in the Duchess’s new Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” a lifestyle-focused show that was filmed at a rented $8 million farmhouse in Montecito.

While Meghan has not revealed why she decided to film the show at another property rather than at her own home, it’s likely that she and Harry made the decision in a bid to protect their privacy, having been incredibly careful about the amount of images and video they share from inside the mansion.

The duo attempted to keep their private life inside their Montecito abode as private as possible, sharing just a few scant glimpses inside the walls of the home—and even then only sharing images or videos from a few select rooms.

In December, when the couple released their public Christmas card, they shared a sneak peek inside the grounds of the property in an image featuring themselves and their children, who could be seen running along a path toward their parents in the expansive garden.

Meghan recently shared some footage from inside the home while posting a heartbreaking tribute to her beloved rescue dog, Guy, after he passed away.

The Realtors Relief Foundation provides urgent housing-related assistance to homeowners impacted by disasters.