Lightning causes fires around Coachella Valley

Cal fire crews have been busy here in the valley since around 5:00 Thursday evening, when strong storm cells came into the valley bringing with them rain, thunder and lightning, which caused several palm tree fires.

Fires were reported in Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta and Indio. There have also been reports of lightning strikes in the High Desert as well.

On Kansas Street in the Palm Desert Country Club, near where several trees were knocked down in July during a strong Summer storm, lightning struck a power pole. Cal Fire worked to put out the fire quickly and says that no customers lost power during the fire.

Cal Fire says most of the lightning strike fires have been put out quickly, and there have been no actual homes catching on fire from the lighting strikes.

Meanwhile in the High Desert, Twentynine Palms got hammered by rain off and on for hours, flooding streets and sending debris into the road.

“It was like 3 o’clock in the morning and it was like thunder and lightning people’s car alarms were going off people’s dogs were barking it was crazy, it was like something you have never seen,” said Antwian Clack of Twentynine Palms.

With the El Nino on the way, and the potential for more rain flooding desert streets, people who drive for a living in Twentynine Palms say they are prepared.

“We know the ways around Twentynine, the main roads is cool, but the back roads where all the deep water hits, just stay out the way, but when that El Nino come we be ready for it,” said Clark.

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