JOSHUA TREE FAMILY HOMELESS AFTER WIND-DRIVEN FIRE

A Joshua Tree family is homeless after a fire Wednesday evening. According to County Fire Battalion Chief Scott Tuttle, firefighters from Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, Yucca Mesa, and Twentynine Palms were called at 6 p.m. to the structure fire in the 7100 block of Olympic Road. The house was fully involved with flames when firefighters arrived. Smoke from the fire could be seen from Yucca Valley to Twentynine Palms. Tuttle said the resident of the house was working on a vehicle in the garage when it caught on fire. Due to the strong winds, the fire quickly spread throughout the house. All the residents and their two dogs got out of the house safely and there were no injuries. Firefighters started an aggressive attack on the blaze and had it knocked down in less than 20 minutes. The house and two vehicles are a total loss.