The mansion in Agoura Hills, California that plays host to episodes of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette was just one of hundreds of homes affected by the wildfires that raged in Southern California in recent days, with the property suffering damage in the wake of the devastating fires.
The home, named Villa De La Vina, is still standing, though a 4,000 square-foot structure on the property was destroyed. While the home is used to film the ABC reality show, a real family lives in the mansion the rest of the year.
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The Woolsey Fire, which was one of the two wildfires affecting Southern California, has resulted in increased cases of looting, as many owners have not yet returned to their damaged homes, many of which have inactive security systems thanks to the fire.
To combat this, the owners of Villa De La Vina have reportedly hired armed guards to protect the home against looters, sources told TMZ. The outlet also reported that the mansion will be able to continue to be used to film for The Bachelor.
In addition to the private guards at Villa De La Vina, over 300 law enforcement officers have been dispatched to secure evacuation zones in L.A. and Ventura County after the fires.
Entertainment Tonight reports that the damage to the mansion could have been much worse were it not for 16-year-old Ava Friedman, who lives next to the home with her dad.
The teen explained that after returning to check the damage on her own house with her dad, the two noticed that the Bachelor mansion was on fire and immediately did what they could to alert fire fighters.
“We wanted to get this fire out as quickly as possible… so we got into our car and we tried to catch the attention of a fire engine,” she said. “These brave men and women went to the fire as soon as we told them this, and thankfully they put it out. I’m just happy there wasn’t any more damage.”
Friedman explained that the fact that the home plays host to The Bachelor was the last thing on her mind when trying to save it.
“The first thing that comes to your mind when you see that is danger, it doesn’t matter whose house it is,” she said. “We’re all just trying to help each other up here, especially in this difficult time. I just wanted to help out and my dad wanted to help out… we were just like, ‘OK, we just need to do something as soon as we can.’ The worst thing I saw [was] probably just the damage the fire had done already… to see that kind of damage was really sad.”
Villa De La Vina will next make an appearance on ABC when Colton Underwood’s season of The Bachelor premieres in January.
Photo Credit: Instagram / @themarshallgroup
