The county take-over of the Twentynine Palms Fire Department got off to a running start Sunday afternoon when a fire broke out at a garage in Twentynine Palms. County Battalion Chief Rick Denison was at the fire stations’ temporary home briefing Twentynine Palms firefighters on county procedures when a structure fire in the 74200 block of El Paseo was called in at 4:16 p.m. Sunday. Heavy black smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles. Firefighters arrived on scene just a few minutes later, and immediately called for assistance from the Combat Center, Wonder Valley, and Joshua Tree fire stations. Denison said the garage and a debris pile behind the garage were fully involved when they arrived and firefighters went into a defensive attack to ensure the fire did not spread to nearby homes that were threatened by the flames. Two vehicles were also burned in the fire. Residents heard explosions from compressed air cylinders in the garage. Firefighters had the blaze knocked down in about half an hour. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The county officially takes over the Twentynine Palms Fire Department Friday, July 1, but the turn-over started Sunday.
