FIRE DESTROYS HALF OF TWENTYNINE PALMS DUPLEX, TWO CHILDREN HOSPITALIZED

An early morning fire destroyed half of a Twentynine Palms Duplex and sent two young children to the hospital. Twentynine Palms Fire Chief Jim Thompson said the residential fire was reported at 5:00 a.m. this morning in the 6400 block of East Court Way. Arriving firefighters found one half of the duplex where the fire started totally involved in flames; the fire was knocked down in about 10 minutes. The family was found outside the home when firefighters arrived; a 2-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl were taken to Hi-Desert Medical Center for minor smoke inhalation. Thompson said the cause of the fire is still under investigation and there were apparently no working smoke detectors in the residence. The residence was declared a total loss and the cost of the damages is estimated at about $40,000.