Prince Harry and Meghan Markle face evacuation and power outages amid LA wildfires
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could be ordered to evacuate their home in Montecito, California amid the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.
The home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may be hit with a power outage as the family’s space is located in Santa Barbara County. In its map of the state, the Southern California Edison (SCE) has indicated that Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are being considered in Santa Barbara.
Meanwhile, a large part of Montecito has been deemed a “high fire risk” area, with warnings of a Power Shutoff already issued. Although the timing for the power shutdowns varies, they could begin as early as 6 pm today (January 8) and last until 9 am tomorrow (January 9).
With Power Shutoff warnings put in place, Meghan and Harry could be preparing to evacuate their home where they live with their two children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three. While there haven’t been any fires in Montecito, there was one in Malibu, which is 70 miles away from the couple’s house.
Along with Montecito, some of the other neighborhoods in Santa Barbara that are considered a “high fire risk” area include Eucalyptus Hill, Riviera, Foothill, and San Roque.
The Independent has contacted Harry and Meghan’s representatives for comment.
The potential home evacuation comes only one day after Meghan shared some heartbreaking news: Her rescue beagle, Guy, has passed away.
“I have cried too many tears to count,” she wrote in the caption of her Instagram post alongside a sweet video montage of Guy with her family. “The type of tears that make you get in the shower with the absurd hope that the running water on your face will somehow make you not feel them, or pretend they’re not there. But they are. And that’s OK too.”
On Tuesday, Los Angeles declared a state of emergency after its suburbs were engulfed in wildfires, which exploded from a relatively contained 10-acre area to rage across more than 5,000 acres, encouraged by high winds and dry conditions.
Bulldozers have been deployed to barge cars out of the roads to clear a path for emergency vehicles to reach the blaze and an estimated 250 firefighters, 46 engines, and five helicopters are on the scene. More than 80,000 people have also had to be evacuated from their homes, according to Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley.
Two fatalities were reported in the Eaton Fire, which had spread through Altadena, Pasadena, Arcadia, and Sierra Madre. Significant injuries were also reported.
The worst impacted areas are the neighborhoods of Altadena and Sylmar as well as the exclusive Pacific Palisades, where a number of A-list Hollywood stars and celebrities reside, placing their luxury properties in jeopardy.
Mandy Moore revealed on Instagram that she and her “kids, dogs and cats” had had to leave their home amid the wildfires, adding in a message that she is “praying and grateful for the first responders.”
Meanwhile, Eugene Levy – who’s jokingly referred to as the “honorary mayor” of Pacific Palisades — has already described the scary ordeal he endured attempting to escape the neighborhood amid a gridlock.
“The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon. I couldn’t see any flames, but the smoke was very dark,” he told The Los Angeles Times.
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