Brush Fire Ignites Building Near North Palm Springs Senior Center

Firefighters had the upper hand against a brush and structure fire that broke out Tuesday near the intersection of Indian Canyon and Via Escuela.

The fire was under control 28 minutes after the first fire crew arrived on scene, according to the Palm Springs Fire Department

The fire call went out at 2:20pm, and fire crews were worried about a nearby senior center also being threatened. The building that caught fire was some sort of out-building, or maintenance on the rehab center’s property.

The center did not sustain any damage, but power poles around the area did. That knocked out power to the rehabilitation center, prompting the staff to consider moving the patients for their own safety.

Southern California Edison arrived to fix the problem, so clinic officials held the patients inside the center hoping the power is restored.

Power to the facility will not be returned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, so the center will operate on the emergency generator until then.

Two firefighters were sustained minor injuries, suffering an electrical shock from the power line fire. They were treated and released from Desert Regional Medical Center.

Again, no patients were injured.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but witnesses believe a power transformer blew up and caught the nearby brush on fire.

Less than an acre of land was burned.