Close call. Marshall Haraden, who owns the famed Bachelor mansion, spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about the property’s condition after it caught flames during the Woolsey Fire.
Haraden and his family reside in the opulent estate in Agoura Hills, California, 10 months out of the year when the hit ABC dating series isn’t filming. Us previously confirmed that Colton Underwood and his contestants were traveling abroad when the mansion was set ablaze on Friday, November 9.
Due to road restrictions, the Marshall Group president wasn’t able to access the property over the weekend after hearing various reports about its condition. He finally gained entry on Monday, November 12, and saw the damage for himself.
“The main house is there. Everything’s fine and the accessory building up front that they use for the shows as a basecamp, it was destroyed,” Haraden told Us. “It’s gone, but it’s not something that’s do-or-die for the show that [production] relies on. There’s a lot of times that they’ve used it for something else and they didn’t use it for basecamp, so it’s a versatile are for them. They can makeshift. With the building gone, they can put some modular trailers there for the duration of the show and it’ll be just fine. But we’ve already talked and it’s not going to interrupt the show. The damage up around the house is minimal, which we’ll get back to shape real quick with our crew.”
Although the beloved property is still standing, it’s not livable yet in the wake of the deadly Woolsey Fires that have burned down homes in many southern California cities including Malibu, Oak Park, Calabasas and West Hills.
“There’s no water, there’s no electricity, there’s no gas out there,” the contractor explained. “I’ll go in there and rough it, but I’m not gonna ask my wife to go in there and rough it with no electricity or water. There’s no point going back if you can’t take a warm shower and all that.”
Meanwhile, Haraden has taken measures to ensure that the house remains protected while it is vacant. “There were concerns about people going in and trying to rob houses and stuff like that,” he told Us. “So I’ve got on-guard security, security out there at night and the L.A. Sheriffs are there … They’re on it day and night.”
Haraden, a former San Diego fireman, also strives to keep his home safe during The Bachelor and The Bachelorette’s off-season. “The challenge is during the year, you know? While we’re living there, a lot of people try to climb it and it gets really awkward sometimes, so you’ve got to protect it,” he explained. “People think that, because it’s a TV show that’s on TV, all these people are at the house. They’re not. They filmed and moved on to wherever they go, so that’s usually when it’s cursed the most.”
Despite the chaos that ensued throughout the past week, Haraden’s spirits were high as his daughter got married on Saturday, November 10. “The wedding just took my mind off of it. It was great and it was beautiful and perfect and I had my family all together at one time, which was fantastic,” he gushed to Us. “And whatever’s missing on my property, I’m a contractor. I build restaurants and breweries and whatever. So whatever needs to be built, it can be replaced.”
