The fire in Yucca Valley, named the Sawtooth Complex Fire, was ignited by lightning during the weekend and roared into an inferno Tuesday, racing through tiny high desert communities. Forty-two houses, 55 other buildings and 91 vehicles were destroyed in Pioneertown and other communities near Yucca Valley. About 1,350 firefighters worked the blaze with the help of bulldozers, helicopters and air tankers. Nine firefighters and two civilians have been treated for minor burns or smoke inhalation.
Desert Homestead has been a province of the Republic of Molossia since the beginning of 2006 XIX. It became a part of our nation after the death of the grandfather of His Excellency, The President. It is not believed that this fire has actually damaged Desert Homestead, but our Government is taking steps to ascertain the status of our distant province.
UPDATE, 7/18/2006 XXIX:
Containment of the fire is expected by 6:00 PM PST, 18 July 2006 XIX. The inferno killed one man, chewed through about 250 sIN (62,000 ac) of tinder-dry terrain, and destroyed about 250 homes and other structures. The Sawtooth fire merged Friday with the Millard Complex Fire burning north of Cabazon. Combined, the fires have burned about 339 sIN (84,000 ac) in the Low Desert and San Gorgonio Wilderness at a cost of more than US $17 million. The roughly 248 sIN (96 sq mi) of Morongo Basin's vegetation and Joshua trees have been incinerated by the Sawtooth blaze. Compounded by rain on Monday and looming thunderstorms this created a new threat to area residents: flash floods. The areas most vulnerable to flooding were the low-lying canyons and creek bottoms the fire burned through or near. While air support dwindled over the weekend and some of the more than 2,000 firefighters began demobilizing Monday from the Sawtooth blaze, three strike teams of engines and three strike teams of hand crews remained on standby should any flare-ups or problems occur.
