A structure fire in Morongo Valley Tuesday (February 1) has left a family displaced after claiming the lives of two of their dogs. Shortly after 4 p.m. on February 1, the Morongo Valley Fire Department received a dispatch call regarding a structure fire in the 9300 block of Terrace Drive which was located south of Highway 62.
A press release from Chief Brakebill says that when fire units arrived on-scene they observed a fully involved single-family residential structure on fire with impingement onto the surrounding vegetation. The residence was not occupied at the time the fire started. Southern California Edison was called to the scene to shut the power off to the house and to the downed powerlines. The Morongo Valley Fire Department responded with mutual aid from San Bernardino County Fire and Cal Fire.
During fire suppression operations the occupants returned to their property to find their house on fire. One of the occupants ran into the house to rescue their three dogs and was quickly overcome by smoke and had to be transported by Morongo Basin Ambulance to Hi-Desert Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation. Two dogs perished in the fire and one dog survived.
It took fire units approximately 40-minutes to completely extinguish the fire. Fire units were successful in containing the fire to the involved structure and prevented the fire from the vegetation and surrounding residences. The home was destroyed by the fire.
Chief Brakebill contacted the Red Cross Disaster Team who responded to the fire and was able to aid the property owner and occupants of the home. Chief Brakebill also interviewed the property owner and occupants who stated that one occupant inadvertently left an electric space heater on in the bedroom before they left to do their errands in Yucca Valley. Chief Brakebill and the Cal Fire Investigator conducted a preliminary investigation of the fire scene and found the burn patterns and evidence that were consistent with the statements obtained from the occupants. There were no injuries to fire personnel working on the fire scene.
