The Santa Barbara community of Montecito, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex put down roots in 2020, managed to dodge the wildfires that devastated California last month.

While nearby towns were consumed in flames and left resembling a war zone, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle put on their good samaritan hats and opened up their sprawling mansion to friends and loved ones impacted by the fires which caused 29 deaths and destroyed over 12,000 homes after breaking out on January 7.

Just 70 miles away from the affluent neighbourhood, which is also home to Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow, homes in the beach city of Malibu were reduced to ash and rubble, however - and the risk of fresh extreme weather isn’t over yet.

Writing in the Duke and Duchess’ local newspaper the Montecito Journal, communications officer for the Montecito Fire Department Christina Atchison urged residents to “lean in, learn and prepare” for life in an increasingly “wildfire-prone environment”.

“In the weeks following these fires, we have fielded dozens of calls, emails and requests from residents to better understand how everyone can be prepared for wildfire here,” Ms Atchison wrote.

“That sense of community is what truly makes the difference in our ability to mitigate wildfire [in Montecito]. We are encouraged by the momentum and motivation we have seen from residents and those taking preventative measures now,” she added.

The communications officer warned that the wildfire outlook for 2025 in Montecito was “undeniably concerning due to severe weather”.

“Yet, the collective efforts by our community, combined with the Montecito Fire Department’s proactive, holistic approach to wildfire prevention, is reassuring when considering the realities of wildfire here,” she added.

“We are grateful for your collaboration and commitment to being a resilient community.”

Harry and Meghan visited a meal distribution site for those impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires last month, where they were filmed hugging people and speaking to emergency crews by local news outlet Fox 11.

Meghan also thanked the singer Billie Eilish for donating signed merchandise to a 15-year-old fan whose home had been destroyed in the blazes.

The Duchess said she had contacted the teenager after finding out that her home had been “left in ashes” and pledged to help her replace a treasured signed shirt she’d bought at Eilish’s recent concert.

“Let’s keep supporting those affected by the California wildfires,” Meghan captioned a video of her opening the merchandise box. “Thanks to everyone who made this possible but most importantly, thank you to our first responders who are the community’s real heroes.”