MOUNT VERNON — A cadaver dog is searching a large vacant building that burned in Mount Vernon to make certain there were no transients trapped inside.
Police spokeswoman Shannon Haigh said the search Monday is a precaution after one transient was arrested on the roof Sunday as the building burned.
Haigh said he told police he was asleep when he was awakened by the crackling sound. He said he was alone and did not have a cooking fire. He was released after questioning.
Investigators are looking for the cause of the fire in the former Alf Christianson Seed building. It has been vacant since 2011.
Haigh said the fire burned an office area. The building sits next to a rail line, and trains were delayed when fire hoses crossed the tracks.
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