Yesterday at noon sharp, Smokey Bear hosted the unveiling of Morongo Valley’s new fire danger sign at the top of the Morongo grade on highway 62.
Composed of the Morongo Valley Fire Department crew, MVCSD Financial Director Johnny Tolbert, and members of the Desert Region Fire Safe staff, a small parade of community members walked along the highway to meet Smokey Bear at the blue cloth-veiled sign. Once 12 noon struck, Smokey and Fire Chief Ryan McEachen uncovered the new sign, complete with color-coding for varying degrees of fire danger, which was at yellow for high risk, due to heavy winds and dry vegetation.
Strategically positioned at the entrance to the Morongo Basin–a corridor traveled by thousands of residents and tourists enroute to Joshua Tree–the sign “bears” Smokey’s unmistakable message: “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.” Its presence is far more than symbolic; it’s a community-driven effort to raise awareness of fire risk in one of California’s most fire-prone regions.
Desert Region Fire Safe commissioned and installed the sign, and it will be maintained in collaboration with the Morongo Valley Community Services District and Fire Department, ensuring that the fire danger level displayed is always current.
Desert Region Fire Safe Director of Wildfire Mitigation and Resilience Justin Merino said, “The Smokey Bear fire danger sign isn’t just some roadside marker. It’s a reality check. Every driver who passes it enters a place where one careless move can change everything. In the desert, fire doesn’t just spread—it races. Dry brush, high winds, and rugged terrain turn small sparks into fast moving threats in no time. This message isn’t just for folks heading to Joshua tree—it’s for all of us who live, work, and call the Basin home. Chief McEachen of the Morongo Valley Fire Department has been a standout advocate for fire safety and we’re proud to have Morongo Valley as the gatekeeper to the Basin, and as a key player in the fire safe movement.”
For more information on how to keep your neighborhood fire wise, please visit desertfire.org.
