Car fire in Joshua Tree surprises firefighters with Halloween decoration

A car fire in the parking lot of a Joshua Tree restaurant led to an evacuation and a Halloween surprise for firefighters, but ultimately no injuries or property damage.

At around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday (November 2), a crew from San Bernardino County Fire and Morongo Basin Ambulance responded to a vehicle fire in the eastern parking lot of the Joshua Tree Saloon. Morongo Basin Ambulance was passing by when they saw the fire. County Fire said that the black SUV’s engine compartment caught on fire.

The vehicle was parked against the exterior wall of the building, but the fire did not spread to the structure. The Joshua Tree Saloon was evacuated, though County Fire said there were no injuries in the vehicle or at the Saloon. The fire is not being investigated as suspicious.

A skeleton in the passenger seat of the vehicle caused fire crews to pause, but it was quickly determined to be a plastic Halloween decoration.