George and Amal Clooney evacuate French home

George Clooney and Amal Clooney evacuated their French home near Brignoles in southeastern France after a fast-moving wildfire broke out nearby, authorities said Thursday.

The couple own Domaine du Canadel, an estate near Brignoles where the fire began on Wednesday evening. The mayor said they were not required to evacuate but chose to leave as a precaution.

In a letter to the mayor quoted by People magazine, the couple said they did not know whether their home would survive and hoped their neighbours remained safe. Authorities confirmed the letter was authentic.

The Brignoles fire has burned 130 hectares and forced more than 600 people to evacuate, firefighters and authorities said. Most people were able to return home on Thursday.

As of Thursday, 270 firefighters remained deployed, supported by four water-bombing helicopters. Four firefighters were injured.

France has been battling some of its worst forest fires in living memory over the past week. The largest fire has burned 42,000 hectares in southwestern France, an area larger than the US city of Detroit.