Famous YouTube family accused of faking evacuation during California wildfire

A popular YouTube couple have been accused of pretending they were forced to evacuate their home during the California wildfires last week. 

More than 20,000 people had to leave their homes as the Holy Fire ravaged Orange and Riverside counties in Southern California.

Among them claimed to be Cole and Savannah LaBrant, the couple behind the popular YouTube channel Cole&Sav. 

The pair, who have more than 6.7 million subscribers, posted a 10-minute video documenting their evacuation from their home in Ladera Ranch. 

YouTube stars Cole and Savannah LaBrant (pictured with Savannah’s daughter Everleigh) have been accused of pretending to be forced to evacuate their home during California’s wildfires

The pair, who have more than 6.7 million subscribers, posted a 10-minute video documenting their evacuation from their home in Ladera Ranch

The pair, who have more than 6.7 million subscribers, posted a 10-minute video documenting their evacuation from their home in Ladera Ranch

The video begins with Cole talking to his viewers, telling them there was a ‘huge fire’ right by the couple’s house and that they ‘might need to evacuate’. 

‘I’m actually going to drive back to the house, see what the fire is looking like and how bad it is,’ he continues. 

‘I’m not even sure we’re ever going to post [this video], but in case things get really bad I wanted to have it.’ 

The footage, set to thumping house music, then cuts to images of the wildfires that have been burning across California for weeks and killed eight people.

It then cuts back to Cole, who films the smoke out of his car window and says its ‘getting close to our house’. 

At one point in the video Cole films the smoke out of his car window and says its 'getting close to our house' 

At one point in the video Cole films the smoke out of his car window and says its ‘getting close to our house’ 

He then shows smoke from the roof as he again comments that the blaze is 'pretty close' and he's only filming in case they have to evacuate or their house burns down.

He then shows smoke from the roof as he again comments that the blaze is ‘pretty close’ and he’s only filming in case they have to evacuate or their house burns down.

He then shows smoke from the roof as he again comments that the blaze is ‘pretty close’ and he’s only filming in case they have to evacuate or their house burns down.

The video then cuts to Cole and Savannah outside their home as they claim the fire has gotten a lot closer and that they ‘just got an evacuation thing’.

‘Hopefully we never have to upload this, but if we do you guys saw what happened,’ Cole says once again. 

The video then shows Cole and Savannah all packed up with their necessities before going to pick up Savannah’s daughter Everleigh from her grandmother’s house. 

They tell Everleigh in the car that they’re going ‘far, far away’ from the fire and that she doesn’t have to be scared anymore. 

The video then cuts to Cole and Savannah outside their home as they claim the fire has gotten a lot closer and that they 'just got an evacuation thing'

The video then cuts to Cole and Savannah outside their home as they claim the fire has gotten a lot closer and that they ‘just got an evacuation thing’

It shows Cole and Savannah all packed up with their necessities before going to pick up Savannah's daughter Everleigh from her grandmother's house

It shows Cole and Savannah all packed up with their necessities before going to pick up Savannah’s daughter Everleigh from her grandmother’s house

The rest of the video documents the family’s trip to San Francisco, where they show off their hotel and the spot where the couple first began dating two years ago. 

At the end of the clip, Cole reveals the family returned to their house after two days ‘because the fire moved onward’. 

‘We’re exhausted, but wanted to update you guys that we’re okay,’ he says before signing off. 

Cole uploaded the video on August 13 with the title ‘WE LEFT OUR HOUSE BECAUSE OF FIRES IN CALIFORNIA’. It was watched more than four million times.   

But the video also caught the attention of the family’s neighbors, who said their community was never told to evacuate for the Holy Fire. 

They tell Everleigh in the car that they're going 'far, far away' from the fire and that she doesn't have to be scared anymore (pictured) 

They tell Everleigh in the car that they’re going ‘far, far away’ from the fire and that she doesn’t have to be scared anymore (pictured) 

The rest of the video documents the family's trip to San Francisco, where they show off their hotel (pictured) and the spot where the couple first began dating two years ago

The rest of the video documents the family’s trip to San Francisco, where they show off their hotel (pictured) and the spot where the couple first began dating two years ago

The couple later revealed they visited the spot where Cole asked Savannah to be his girlfriend two years ago (pictured) 

The couple later revealed they visited the spot where Cole asked Savannah to be his girlfriend two years ago (pictured) 

There are also no mandatory evacuations listed for Ladera Ranch on the National Wildfire Coordinating Group website.

‘There was no evacuation notice to Ladera Ranch,’ one neighbor told Fox 11. 

‘I just think it’s really sad they would exploit a situation that’s as serious as a fire that so many people were evacuated from, just so they could get more likes or more hits on their channel.’ 

Another neighbor was outraged when he saw the thumbnail the couple used for the video, featuring them looking concerned in front of a background of raging flames. 

‘I have friends who were evacuated in a very scary situation,’ he said. ‘Kind of making light of that, I don’t think it was proper, just to make a buck.’ 

Critics have since been posting maps on social media to illustrate where the fire was compared to the couple's home

Critics have since been posting maps on social media to illustrate where the fire was compared to the couple’s home

And some neighbors were outraged when they saw the thumbnail the couple used for the video, featuring them looking concerned in front of a background of raging flames

And some neighbors were outraged when they saw the thumbnail the couple used for the video, featuring them looking concerned in front of a background of raging flames

Critics have since been posting maps on social media to illustrate where the fire was in relation to the couple’s home.

Some have called for sympathy for the family, saying their daughter was scared and Savannah was being cautious because she is currently pregnant.

But others have slammed Savannah and Cole and claimed they exploited the tragedy for more clicks and profits. 

‘I understand the DECISION to leave for your peace of mind and in an abundance of caution. However, no where do you clarify that it was your DECISION,’ one person wrote in the YouTube video’s comments.

The family's neighbors said they were never told to evacuate during the Holy Fire last week

The family’s neighbors said they were never told to evacuate during the Holy Fire last week

Some have called for sympathy for the family, saying their daughter was scared and Savannah was being cautious because she is currently pregnant

Some have called for sympathy for the family, saying their daughter was scared and Savannah was being cautious because she is currently pregnant

‘Instead you allow viewers to believe that you were in immediate danger and were FORCED to evacuate. That’s deceitful to your viewers and a slap in the face of people who have actually been forced to evacuate.’   

‘Considering I live in your neighborhood and we are FAR from any evacuation notices this video saddens me,’ one neighbor added.  

‘Hopefully you see how wrong and fake this video is and take it down (or at least give your profits to those actually suffering from the CA fires).’ 

DailyMail.com has reached out to Savannah and Cole for comment. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk