Sheriff’s deputies are investigating what fire officials call “an extremely suspicious” fire in Wonder Valley. County Fire Battalion Chief Donnie Viloria said firefighters from Wonder Valley, Twentynine Palms, Joshua Tree, and the Combat Center responded to a fire at 3:40 p.m. in the 84600 block of Amboy Road. The fire was knocked down in about 10 minutes. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Viloria said it appeared that ashes placed in a dumpster somehow moved out of the dumpster to a 25,000-square foot metal building, which caught on fire. He added that it was obvious that at one time the building was used as a marijuana grow; while no plants were in the building, there were tools and equipment associated with illicit activities on the site. He added that the utilities had been “hijacked” from other sources. Anyone with information should call the Sheriff’s Department at 760-366-4175.
