A blaze that damaged 150 acres of conservation land in the Joshua Tree area was purposefully set, and a suspect has been taken into custody, officials said Tuesday.
A 43-year-old man from Joshua Tree was arrested after sheriff’s deputies investigated 911 callers’ reports of a man fleeing the area where the fire sparked Monday, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said in a news release.
Authorities did not release the suspect’s name, but said he was being held on $25,000 bail.
The flames were first reported around 11:30 a.m. near the southeast corner of Twentynine Palms Highway and La Contenta Road, at the eastern city limits of Yucca Valley. Although firefighters initially reported the blaze covered 155 acres, that figure was downgraded slightly to 155 Tuesday.
The property the blaze charred belongs to the Mojave Desert Land Trust. The nonprofit said a quarter of the 623-acre parcel known as the “gateway” was destroyed.
The land is home to more than 10,000 Joshua Trees, as well as desert tortoise, burrowing owl, bobcat, American badger, prairie falcon and kit fox.
“This parcel is very special. It is well-loved by the community and helps maintain our community’s rural character by preserving open space, access to nature, and incredible views of our National Park,” Geary Hund, the trust’s executive director, said in a statement.
The fire was fanned by strong, erratic winds that spread flames quickly across dry vegetation. The highway had to be closed due to heavy smoke and to allow fire equipment to respond as the blaze moved rapidly toward Joshua Tree Memorial Park, officials said.
Crews say they were able to stop the flames from spreading north of the highway, and from damaging buildings at the memorial park. But some of the conservation land had to be bulldozed as firefighters worked to gain access and build containment lines.
The flames were fully contained by about 7:45 p.m. Monday. Crews are continuing to monitor the perimeter for hot spots, as high winds are expected to continue throughout the week, the Fire Department said.
The trust said the full extent of the damage won’t be known for several days.
Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the sheriff’s Morongo Basin Station at 760-366-4175, or fire marshal investigators at 909-386-4800. Anonymous tips may be submitted via 888-782-7463.
