A military vehicle in a convoy on its way to the Marine Base in Twentynine Palms caught on fire yesterday afternoon, shutting down the Morongo Grade for about half an hour. According to the CHP, the last Humvee in the convoy caught on fire about 3:10 yesterday about a quarter to half mile south of the county line. Morongo Valley fire fighters knocked down the fire in the engine and passenger compartment until fire fighters from Desert Hot Springs arrived. Traffic lanes north- and southbound were shut down for 15 to 20 minutes, causing traffic jams in both directions. The northbound number 2 lane was closed until about 5:30.
