10/8/15, 10:52 AMGrove provides little response to inquiries - Moscow-Pullman Daily News: Local

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Grove provides little response to inquiriesBy Patrick Groves, Daily News staff writer | Posted: Monday, July 22, 2013 1:00 am

Pullman Grove officials dodged media inquiries this weekend as investigators turned over the scene ofthe largest Pullman fire in 30 years to construction crews.

Campus Crest Communities Inc., of Charlotte, N.C., said in a statement Sunday it could not release thenumber of Washington State University students displaced by the three-alarm fire. It leveled 88 units setto be completed Aug. 17 before the start of fall classes.

The destroyed units had two and three bedroom floor plans and when completed would have featuredprivate bedrooms, bathrooms, walk-in closets, full furnishings, kitchens, appliances, washers and dryers,Campus Crest said.

The company also confirmed all Pullman Grove leaseholders have been contacted.

When the Daily News visited The Grove at Pullman office Saturday, the office staff said they areworking every day of the week to provide customer service and are doing their best to help leaseholders.

Meanwhile, two foundations at the construction site had been cleared Saturday and the charred remnantsof the former structures were sorted into several piles of wood, metal, brick and the like.

Gene Winters, the project supervisor of The Grove, said he could not comment on

construction and referred reporters to a press release, which could not be found, on the Campus Crestwebpage.

An apartment building under construction at The Grove off Terre View Drive, erupted in flames about 3a.m. July 14 and spread to three other buildings. The Pullman Fire Department sounded a three-alarmbringing Rural District 12, both city and rural fire departments from Moscow and the Colfax FireDepartment to help contain and neutralize the fire.

3-D model of fire's origins

Deputies from the Spokane County Sheriff's Office arrived early Saturday morning on the scene of themiddle building where the fire began.

The team mapped the scene using equipment called a "total station," an electronic theodolite (transit)integrated with an electronic distance meter. Using two tripods, one with a laser mount and another with areceiver, they were able to take exact distance measurements to create a 3-D computer model to scale.

The deputies also charted the locations of potential accelerants sniffed out last week by an arson dog

10/8/15, 10:52 AMGrove provides little response to inquiries - Moscow-Pullman Daily News: Local

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from the Spokane Fire Department.

Pullman Police Cmdr. Chris Tennant said the Spokane team also maps accidents and homicides requiringfurther investigation. Tennant said the 3-D model is crucial for an outdoor scene such as the fire becauseit will change as construction crews continue to build on the site.

"Having a three-dimensional map you can look at and point at helps everyone's perspective inconceptualizing the scene," he said.

The model would also help explain to a jury the location of evidence if the fire ever comes to a trial.

Pullman Fire Chief Mike Heston said the investigation team will conclude follow-up interviews witheyewitnesses and construction crew members and an analysis of the 3-D model during the next fewweeks.

Patrick Groves can be reached at (208) 883-4632, or by email to briefs@dnews.com.