Fire Damages Abandoned Hotel in Desert Hot Springs

A fire damaged an abandoned hotel in Desert Hot Springs Monday. Firefighters responded to the 66700 block of Fifth Street about 6:15 a.m. Crews say flames could be seen from the second floor of the former Sahara Hotel and Spa, leading to a second alarm response. They extinguished the flames in about an hour, and the fire was contained around 7:06 a.m., according to the Riverside County Fire Department. No one was injured during the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation.