With many Fourth of July fireworks and events cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis, many Morongo Basin residents took it upon themselves to host their own fireworks shows this weekend. While several residents reported small fires from the illegal fireworks, Morongo Basin firefighters were only called out to one fireworks-related fire Saturday. County Fire Battalion Chief Brian James said the call for a small brush fire came in at 8:18 p.m. Saturday near Douglas Lane and Yucca Mesa Road in Yucca Valley. James said no witnesses or suspects were at the scene when fire crews arrived, who had the blaze out in under an hour.
Yucca Valley firefighters were also called to a small vegetation fire at 2 a.m. Friday morning. The blaze, located in the desert south of Yucca Valley near Hardesty Drive and Power Line Road, burned about a 50-square foot area of brush. Crews had the fire out in under an hour.
