Two unrelated home fires lit up the Morongo Basin last night.
First, a Landers home that appeared to be inhabited by squatters caught fire shortly before midnight. Fire crews responded to a structure fire in the 56200 block of Lilac Avenue to find heavy smoke and flames from a single-story home, an RV, and multiple cars that were also on fire. The fire was knocked down in approximately 20 minutes and fire crews did not find anyone in the home. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
There was also a structure fire in Joshua Tree early this morning. Just before 5 a.m., fire crews were called to the 62500 block of Sunny Sands for a home and vehicle well involved in flames. County Fire Battalion Chief Mike McClintock said the occupants said the fire started in the living room. Fire crews were able to keep the blaze from spreading to a second home on the property; firefighters had the fire knocked down 15 minutes. Fire crews are still investigating the cause of the second fire as well.
