Firefighters held another informational brief Thursday about the Apple fire, this time in Pioneertown. More than 200 people showed up for the briefing, which firefighters said was their largest crowd ever. Firefighters were generally optimistic about their progress against the Apple fire, but Managing editor Tami Roleff said they did share their concerns with residents…
“Millard Canyon … that’s been giving us fits here over the last couple of days.”
Public Information Officer Daron Wyatt said firefighters have been able to keep the fire to the west of Millard Canyon, which is directly north of the Morongo Casino, and they were pleased with their efforts so far to contain the fire.
“Overall, the fire is looking fairly good, but we’re not out of the woods yet.”
Mike Minton of the Incident Management Team 2 warned residents that if the fire crosses Millard Canyon and the Whitewater Canyon drainage, it will trigger changes in evacuation status for Pioneertown, Rimrock, and Morongo Valley.
“That trigger point is the main primary Whitewater Canyon drainage. If the fire … crosses the Whitewater drainage .. we’ll be upping the evacuations from a warning to an order. If the fire has enough momentum with energy and wind to drive it hard across the Whitewater drainage, there’s going to a limited amount of time, and you all will need to go.”
The edge of the Apple fire is estimated to be about four miles from Whitewater Canyon drainage, and it’s about another six miles to Pioneertown.
Firefighters have established a line around the southern edge of the Apple fire, and said lines made by bulldozers and fire retardant have done their jobs at containing the flames.
The Apple fire has more personnel working it than any other fires in the state right now, but several other fires have started recently, and resources are starting to become tight at the Apple fire. Airplanes that had been dumping fire retardant on the blaze the past few days have been diverted to other fires, although 14 helicopters are still dropping water and retardant on the lines of the Apple fire.
Members of the Incident Management Team 2 stressed that while their progress against the fire looks good now, it can quickly change with little or no warning. If the fire crosses the trigger point of Whitewater Canyon drainage, the evacuation warning will change to an order, and residents will required to evacuate. They urged residents to start preparing now for evacuation.
Lieutenant Mike Walker from the Sheriff’s Department told residents that if a mandatory evacuation order is issued, deputies will patrol the area, go door to door, and drive through neighborhoods with a PA system announcing that they need to leave.
Yucca Valley Town Manager Curtis Yakimow said that small animals can be brought to the town’s animal shelter during a mandatory evacuation, and horses can be brought to the Yucca Valley Equestrian Center.
A meeting will be held tonight for residents of Yucca Valley and Morongo Valley. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Covington Park in Morongo Valley.
