Two large wildfires continue to smolder to the east and west of our Morongo Basin.
CalFire says the Apple fire to our west is 95% contained at 33,424 acres. The Apple fire is being called calm and no imminent danger. At one time the local communities of Rimrock, Pioneertown, and Morongo Valley were under an evacuation warning. The Apple Fire started July 31, sparked by a faulty exhaust system on a vehicle in Cherry Valley.
To our east, the Dome fire remains active but calm in the Mojave National Preserve. Fire authorities say the fire, which destroyed one of the largest Joshua Tree forests in the world, was at 43,273 acres and 95% contained. The Dome Fire was sparked by lightning August 15.
