Palm Desert House Fire Causes $600,000 In Damage

Two firefighters were injured Thursday morning battling a house fire in the Sun City neighborhood of Palm Desert.

One firefighter suffered a minor shoulder injury and the other injured a thumb, said Melody Hendrickson of Cal Fire.

It took more than four dozen firefighters to fight back flames and high winds at the 78-200 block of Elenbrook Court.

Homeowner John Antonio said all he could do was watch.

“I took my dog out for a ride on the golf cart and smelled a little bit of electrical smell,” he said. “I came home and parked it in the garage. I went inside to the bathroom. Before I got out of the bathroom, the whole garage was on fire. So the golf cart must’ve exploded.”

Three people were inside the home at the time. Two of them went to the backyard to rescue their dogs and found themselves trapped for 15 minutes.

“When we got to the backyard, the flames were so big that we couldn’t get back. We were stuck in the backyard,” said houseguest Rick Jones. “When the fire department got here, they came back and got us.”

Although an official cause hasn’t been reported, Jones said he believes the fire was started by a golf cart, which is not an uncommon event in the neighborhood.

“We used to live here. Golf carts start a lot of fires,” he said. “Usually, it’s some sort of short in the charging system.”

Fire officials advised that residents stay safe when charging their golf carts.

“If all possible, charge it to the exterior and ensure that you’re keeping an eye and monitoring the golf cart while it’s charging,” said Public Information Officer Mike Smith.

The fire spread through the attic and torched two cars — one of them a classic 1985 Porsche.

“Absolutely devastated!” said the home’s owner Judith Antonio. “I’ve never had anything like this happen in my life. I can’t imagine. We’re all safe — that’s the important thing. But, it’s hard to see.”

The couple recently celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary Wednesday.

Judith Antonio said this was an anniversary she’d never forget.

Estimated damages are at $600,000.