An illegal burn is responsible for a half-acre vegetation fire in Yucca Valley Thursday afternoon. Firefighters from Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree—assisted by Calfire and BLM firefighters—were called to a vacant lot on the corner of Lisbon and Warren Vista Avenues at 12:04 p.m. County Fire Chief Mike McClintock said the fire was started by a couple who were burning weeds in their yard, and the windy conditions caused it to spread. The blaze threatened two homes, and one home suffered minor damage to the eaves from the flames.
McClintock reminds residents that the entire county is under a burning prohibition as of June 1. He added that even if a resident has been issued a burn permit, residents must call each time to confirm whether burning is allowed that day. McClintock said the couple who were burning the vegetation were counseled by the fire investigator about the burn ban. He added that several neighbors called the fire department to report that it wasn’t the first time the couple had accidentally started vegetation fires, but noted that without back-up documentation of dates and times, the fire investigator was unable to pursue the matter.
