WOMAN STARTS FURNITURE ON FIRE, BURNS YUCCA VALLEY HOME

Arson is the cause of a fire in a Yucca Valley home early this morning. According to County Fire Captain Donnie Viloria, firefighters from Yucca Valley, Yucca Mesa, Joshua Tree, and CalFire received multiple calls of a house fire in the 7500 block of Cherokee Trail just after 2 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they found flames through the roof with heavy smoke. However, firefighters had to wait to fight the blaze until Sheriff’s deputies arrived, as a woman with a gun was  threatening onlookers outside the 1,700-square foot, single-family home. After deputies detained the woman, firefighters mounted an aggressive exterior attack on the home, where high heat levels from heavy flames were roaring through the entire home. Viloria said an exploding 5-gallon propane tank and small-caliber ammunition, along with energized power lines, made the fire challenging to fight. Viloria said all occupants were able to leave the home safely and there were no injuries. The fire was discovered by residents who awoke to find a female family member burning furniture in the living room. The residents attempted unsuccessfully to put out the fire themselves. There was no land-line or cell phones in the home, nor a working smoke detector, and neighbors called 911. Deputies took the woman to Hi-Desert Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation. Damage is estimated to be about $32,000. Firefighters recommend that residents have working smoke detectors as well as fire extinguishers.