The Bachelor Mansion Has Reportedly Survived The California Wildfires

The Agoura Hills, CA home in which The Bachelor takes place has reportedly survived the California wildfires, according to Entertainment Weekly. A source confirmed to the outlet that the iconic reality show mansion is largely okay, while a smaller part of the home (called "the barn") did burn down in the blaze.

Season 23 of The Bachelor had already completed filming in the home, so the wildfires will not appear in this season's plot line. Beyond the reality show tie-in, the Bachelor mansion is a private residence for 280 days out of the year.

The 2018 California wildfire season has caused at least nine deaths and the evacuation of over a quarter of a million people. The town of Paradise has been destroyed by the Camp Fire, Caitlyn Jenner’s home has reportedly burned down, and near Malibu many residents and celebrities have been forced to evacuate by the Hill and Woosley fires. Now, the wildfires are threatening another cultural institution: the Bachelor mansion.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that Villa De La Vina has partially burned down. Villa De La Vina is the estate where The Bachelor and Bachelorette are filmed, which is located in Agoura Hills, CA, about 30 miles northwest from downtown Los Angeles. The Bachelor cast and crew, who are currently filming with lead Colton Underwood, were not present at the mansion when the fires reached the area. Entertainment Weekly reported that the home’s back patio, which is often used for one-on-one meetings during the show’s cocktail parties, has burned, and the estate’s secondary house has been destroyed. The secondary house is used as a production base while the show is filming.

No further damage assessment is available at this time, notes EW, as the area has been closed off to through traffic.

Bachelor creator and producer Mike Fleiss tweeted a photo of smoke covering the Malibu hills, and wrote “Pray for Malibu— and #TheBachelor Mansion…” He later responded to critics, writing that he is also a resident of Malibu. “What part of ‘pray for Malibu’ confuses you idiots. I live in Malibu! My heart is broken. Go fuck yourselves!”

When the show is not filming, the mansion is a private home of the Haradan family. The six-person family vacates the premises when The Bachelor and Bachelorette are in production, and they also rent out the estate for weddings, movies, and events.

In a statement to EW, Bachelor producers reiterated their concern for the family. “The Bachelor Mansion is a private home in one of the current burn areas of Los Angeles. The area has been closed to traffic so we do not know the current status of the home. It is primarily a private residence, and our main concern is with the family who has been displaced, their neighbors, and all the communities impacted by this tragic fire. We thank the tireless efforts of the first responders here in Los Angeles County and across the state.”

The wildfires have also burned down a Western-style set at Paramount Ranch. The Western town set is used to film HBO’s Westworld and has also been featured on Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.

You can help victims of the California wildfires with our list of resources.