An exploding propane heater started three vehicles on fire Friday night in Joshua Tree. According to a Sheriff’s report, a caller said he was camping on BLM land near Sunfair Road off the highway when he heard a loud explosion just before 10 p.m. He said he could see a pillar of flames about a mile east of his location, and while he was on the phone with Sheriff’s dispatch, he heard several smaller explosions. County Fire Battalion Chief Mike Snow said Joshua Tree firefighters were dispatched to Copper Mountain Road, but because of the fire’s remote location and rugged terrain, they could not get to the fire. The brush engine from Twentynine Palms was then sent out, which arrived about 30 minutes after the first call for help. Firefighters found three vehicles on fire and quickly put out the blaze. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.