(Out of county help arrives)...They assisted in scanning the rubble at the Mayan Hotel.

A team of three personnel and two human remains detection canines from the Orange County Fire Authority's Urban Search and Rescue team came to El Centro Wednesday to assist in the search for human remains at the Mayan Hotel. The vacant hotel was heavily damaged by a fire late Saturday night. During the incident firefighters attempted a search, but were driven back by the dangerous environment in the structures interior. Wednesday, an organized search of the rubble was accomplished with canines to aid in canvasing the heavily damaged structure. El Centro Battalion Chief Cedric Cesena says the canine team led the search by hand and with power tools and other equipment. He said after a search of places of interest, personnel did not find any human remains. Assisting at the scene were personnel from the Imperial and County Fire Departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Fire Authority, American Red Cross, AMR Ambulance, City of El Centro Code Enforcement Division, City of El Centro Public Works, and City of El Centro Engineering Division, Cesena say as a precaution, a perimeter fence has been installed to prevent unauthorized access into the damaged building. Th intersection of 6th and State Streets will continue to be closed for several days. He says downtown traffic should find alternate route and avoid the area to ease congestion. The cause of the fir is still under investigation.