The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s California home is at risk of “severe wildfires” following one of the driest years in the last decade.
According to The Sun Online, the couple’s $14.7 million mansion could be in grave danger as it is located in Montecito, one of the worst affected areas in the region, which has experienced significantly less rainfall than in previous years.
Christina Favuzzi, Montecito Fire Public Information Officer, said: “We are facing concerning conditions in terms of record-low fuel moistures and predicted weather patterns. Those factors could lead to a severe fire season.
“On [Meghan and Harry’s road] and in all areas of the Montecito Fire Protection District, we have been conducting extensive wildfire prevention work in order to educate, prepare and protect our community.
“By this time last year, Montecito had received more than 17 inches of rain, according to the Santa Barbara County Flood Control District, marking an average rainfall year.
“So far in 2021, our community has received about 10 inches of rain, making this one of the driest rainfall years in the last decade.”
This year, the local Fire Department declared the start of high fire season on May 3, which was two weeks earlier than in 2020. It comes after it was revealed that the region has had less than 50 percent of it’s average rainfall this year.
Harry, 36, and 39-year-old Meghan relocated to celebrity hotspot Montecito last year. They currently reside there with their two-year-old son Archie, and are expecting a daughter imminently as Meghan, 39, is heavily pregnant with their second child.