(Preliminary Report)....It was released by the El Centro Fire Department.

El Centro Police and Fire began receiving 911 calls at around 5:13 Friday morning. The calls reported a possible fire at the Carl's Jr. Restaurant on South 4th Street in El Centro. The initial crew arrived at 5:17. They will able to force entry into the building and found heavy smoke, high heat and heavy fire rolling out of the kitchen area. A second alarm for mutual aid was requested at 5:22. The mutual aid request brought in resources from the City of Imperial, Imperial County, The City of Calexico and Centinela State Prison. The fire was finally extinguished at around 10:00 am. No injuries were reported to civilians or firefighters. Off-duty personnel and the mutual aid added 16 to the scene for support in firefighting operations. Other cooperating agencies included the El Centro Police and Fire dispatch Center, American Red Cross, AMR ambulance, The Imperial Irrigation District, Southern California Gas Company, City Of El Centro Code Enforcement, City of El Centro Public Works, and the El Centro Police Department. El Centro Fire investigators are currently working to determine the cause of the fire. Officials said the damage to the restaurant was extensive.