Morongo Basin firefighters, from Morongo Valley to Twentynine Palms, were busy yesterday fighting four fires. The day started with a mobile home fire in Morongo Valley at 6:15 a.m. that is blamed on an overloaded electrical outlet. Morongo Valley firefighters didn’t have far to go to fight the blaze, as it was literally across the highway from the fire station, in the 49800 block of 29 Palms Highway. Morongo Valley Deputy Fire Chief Jim Brakebill said the 1977 Silver Stream mobile home was fully involved in flames when crews from Morongo Valley and Calfire arrived. Brakebill added that fighting the fire was tough, as it was tucked in very close next to a building and a trailer. Firefighters had the blaze knocked down in about 30 minutes and Brakebill praised his firefighters for keeping the blaze from spreading. Red Cross was called in to assist the resident as he lost not only his home but all his belongings as well.
The second fire of the day came in at 4 p.m. in the area of Smoke Tree Avenue and Old Dale Road. Fire Captain Jay Dimoff said a 50-year-old man was working on his motorhome when there was a spark and a flash. A Sheriff’s report states the victim poured gasoline into the carburetor to get the engine running. The engine backfired, causing a fire. The man suffered second-degree burns; he was transported by Morongo Basin Ambulance to Hi-Desert Medical Center and then flown to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the motorhome and kept it from spreading to nearby vehicles.
Then shortly before 7 p.m., firefighters were called to a fire in Landers, near Coleman Road and Old Woman Springs Road. Firefighters could see the orange glow from the fire from miles away; they arrived to find an abandoned cabin fully involved in flames. County Fire Battalion Chief Donnie Viloria said there was no power to the cabin. The structure is a total loss; a fire investigator has been called in to determine the cause of the blaze. Viloria said firefighters had to get additional water from the hydrant at the unused Fire Station 19 in Landers.
And then at 1:15 a.m. this morning, firefighters were called to a barn on fire in Yucca Valley near Warren Vista Avenue and San Andreas Road. Viloria said a barn and a travel trailer were destroyed in the blaze, but the resident and firefighters were able to rescue all five horses. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
