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Season's first fire threatens house
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| More than 120 firefighters fought a stubborn 25-acre brush fire in Morongo Valley Saturday. Here, firefighters from Morongo Valley and Yucca Mesa protected this home at Twentynine Palms Highway and Valley View Road. |
By Dave Miller / Hi-Desert Star
MORONGO VALLEY - The first substantial, threatening brush fire of the wildfire season in the Morongo Basin sprang to life near East Drive and Twentynine Palms here at 2:45 p.m. Saturday.
Flames, which sent skyward a towering plume of smoke that was visible as far away as Yucca Valley, swept across 25 acres of dry grass and heavy brush.
There was no property damage or injuries to firefighters.
The fire was expected to be contained at 10:30 p.m. Saturday and under control at 6 a.m. Sunday.
“We received a report of a vegetation fire on the south side of Twentynine Palms Highway, between East Drive and Valley View Street,” San Bernardino County Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Snow said.
“The first units at the scene found 10 acres of fire with a fast rate of spread.”
Flames burned generally to the east, but advanced to the north in places, burning to Twentynine Palms Highway in several locations, only to be halted by firefighters.
Visions of the huge and disastrous Paradise Fire danced in the memories of many Morongo Valley residents, some of whom left weekend activities early to check on their homes.
San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies poured into the fire area, along with California Highway Patrol officers. All remembered the Paradise Fire and the six homes it destroyed.
With flames burning to the edge of Twentynine Palms Highway and dense, acrid smoke drifting across the roadway, the CHP closed the important traffic artery in both directions for about an hour, Snow said.
“The fire never jumped Twentynine Palms Highway,” Snow said. “There were no evacuations and only one home was threatened.”
That home is on the south side of Twentynine Palms Highway at Valley View Street, said Snow. “Our crews got on it and prevented any damage to the home.”
Edison crews were checking power lines along Valley View Street. “No poles burned, but there could have been some damage to wires,” Snow added.
He didn't point the finger at anyone or anything for the fire's start.
“An arson investigator from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is on the scene and working toward determining the fire's cause,” Snow said.
The chief said the fire's spread was enhanced by increasing temperatures; a substantial south-southwest wind of 10 to 15 mph pushed the fire at first. He added that there has been a decline in humidity and fuel moisture, which causes fires to spread more rapidly.
About 120 firefighters on the ground were assisted by an air attack supervisor, one air tanker and two helicopters. All three dropped along the south line of the fire in an attempt to prevent the flames from reaching Bureau of Land Management land, including the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve.
“There is some thought the fire did burn onto the Big Morongo Wildlife Preserve; we have personnel checking on that, but it's my feeling we kept the fire on the east side of the preserve,” Snow said.
At the scene were eight fire engines and two water tenders from Morongo Valley, the San Bernardino County Fire Department, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the CDF/Riverside County Fire Department. Snow said a bulldozer was still en route to the scene Saturday night.
Snow was joined by two battalion chiefs from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection because most of the acreage blackened was state responsibility land.
Responding from the Morongo Basin were fire engines and crews from Yucca Valley, Yucca Mesa, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms and the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Fire Department.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection station in Yucca Valley also sent an engine and crew to the scene.
Planning ahead, Snow said the bulldozer and two hand crews, one from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and one from the Oak Glen Conservation Camp, were to cut a fire line completely around the perimeter of the fire Saturday night and early Sunday.
Looking at the still smoldering blaze Saturday night, Snow said, “You can see there's still some activity Š problems with medium to heavy fuel.”
The night shift Saturday was to be one hand crew, two fire engines and one water tender.
Flames, which sent skyward a towering plume of smoke that was visible as far away as Yucca Valley, swept across 25 acres of dry grass and heavy brush.
There was no property damage or injuries to firefighters.
The fire was expected to be contained at 10:30 p.m. Saturday and under control at 6 a.m. Sunday.
“We received a report of a vegetation fire on the south side of Twentynine Palms Highway, between East Drive and Valley View Street,” San Bernardino County Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Snow said.
“The first units at the scene found 10 acres of fire with a fast rate of spread.”
Flames burned generally to the east, but advanced to the north in places, burning to Twentynine Palms Highway in several locations, only to be halted by firefighters.
Visions of the huge and disastrous Paradise Fire danced in the memories of many Morongo Valley residents, some of whom left weekend activities early to check on their homes.
San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies poured into the fire area, along with California Highway Patrol officers. All remembered the Paradise Fire and the six homes it destroyed.
With flames burning to the edge of Twentynine Palms Highway and dense, acrid smoke drifting across the roadway, the CHP closed the important traffic artery in both directions for about an hour, Snow said.
“The fire never jumped Twentynine Palms Highway,” Snow said. “There were no evacuations and only one home was threatened.”
That home is on the south side of Twentynine Palms Highway at Valley View Street, said Snow. “Our crews got on it and prevented any damage to the home.”
Edison crews were checking power lines along Valley View Street. “No poles burned, but there could have been some damage to wires,” Snow added.
He didn't point the finger at anyone or anything for the fire's start.
“An arson investigator from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is on the scene and working toward determining the fire's cause,” Snow said.
The chief said the fire's spread was enhanced by increasing temperatures; a substantial south-southwest wind of 10 to 15 mph pushed the fire at first. He added that there has been a decline in humidity and fuel moisture, which causes fires to spread more rapidly.
About 120 firefighters on the ground were assisted by an air attack supervisor, one air tanker and two helicopters. All three dropped along the south line of the fire in an attempt to prevent the flames from reaching Bureau of Land Management land, including the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve.
“There is some thought the fire did burn onto the Big Morongo Wildlife Preserve; we have personnel checking on that, but it's my feeling we kept the fire on the east side of the preserve,” Snow said.
At the scene were eight fire engines and two water tenders from Morongo Valley, the San Bernardino County Fire Department, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the CDF/Riverside County Fire Department. Snow said a bulldozer was still en route to the scene Saturday night.
Snow was joined by two battalion chiefs from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection because most of the acreage blackened was state responsibility land.
Responding from the Morongo Basin were fire engines and crews from Yucca Valley, Yucca Mesa, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms and the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Fire Department.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection station in Yucca Valley also sent an engine and crew to the scene.
Planning ahead, Snow said the bulldozer and two hand crews, one from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and one from the Oak Glen Conservation Camp, were to cut a fire line completely around the perimeter of the fire Saturday night and early Sunday.
Looking at the still smoldering blaze Saturday night, Snow said, “You can see there's still some activity Š problems with medium to heavy fuel.”
The night shift Saturday was to be one hand crew, two fire engines and one water tender.
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GGWebGrrl wrote on Jan 17, 2009 1:59 PM: