8 Mobile Homes Engulfed By Fire In Desert Hot Springs

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA — Fire engulfed eight mobile homes in Desert Hot Springs Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries.

It was the second blaze in less than a month in Desert Hot Springs that destroyed multiple residences.

Fire crews responded at 3:54 p.m. Thursday to the 17000 block of North Indian Canyon Drive to a report of a residential structure fire, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

By 4:30 p.m., an official with the agency said that four mobile homes were involved. Crews from the Cathedral City and Palm Springs fire departments responded to the scene to assist with the blaze.

About 15 minutes later, however, fire officials said eight mobile homes were "fully involved in fire."

"Due to heavy wind conditions, multiple additional resources responding," fire officials said.
North Indian Canyon Drive was closed for water lines as fire crews battled the flames, according to the CHP.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Last month, a fire at Country Squire RV Park in Desert Hot Springs destroyed nine mobile homes and 12 vehicles, while 59 other mobile homes were damaged, according to fire officials.

The Riverside County Emergency Management Department, Desert Hot Springs city officials, county departments and state partners coordinated to open a center to help residents transition from a shelter that was set up in Desert Hot Springs High School, according to a statement from Supervisor V. Manuel Perez.

"Our county departments as well as other agencies in our community are assisting residents through the response and recovery from this fire, and I want to thank the Palm Springs Unified School District for making the high school available to support the community," Perez said in a statement.

Firefighters responded at 12:34 p.m. July 18 to the fire in the 66400 block of Dillon Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. Crews from the Cathedral City, Hemet, Palm Springs and Soboba fire departments helped in the firefight.

Due to the presence of a 500-gallon propane tank, over 100 people were evacuated from trailer park, fire officials said. The non-injury blaze was contained by 4:15 p.m. that day.

"The devastation is very high because many people have lost things in the fire, and some have lost everything they own," Perez said in a statement.

Efforts by county departments to aid those who were affected by the fire included the Riverside Health System, which provided emotional support to 58 families affected through its Behavioral Health mobile crisis teams and provided a health nurse for the shelter; Department of Public Social Services, which worked with the American Red Cross and school district to coordinate shelter operations; the District Attorney's Office, which supplied dogs to help search for potential victims; First 5 Riverside County, which provided support to children who were evacuated; Riverside County Department of Animal Services, which offered support and capacity to the city's Animal Services; and Emergency Management Department, which provided guidance to city officials on emergency management matters and acted as a liaison between city and county department, state and federal agencies, and non-profits.

"The City of Desert Hot Springs is grateful for the collaboration with our regional partners who banded together with us to provide much needed assistance to our residents devastated by this awful fire," said Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas in a statement last month. "So many of our residents have lost everything, we are committed to ongoing assistance to those residents that have been affected."