THIRD Suspicious Fire In Pullman - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

PULLMAN, Wash. - The Pullman Fire Department says they're investigating a third suspicious fire on the Washington State University Campus.  Here's the official press release:

Washington State University Police officers are conducting an arson investigation of McCoy Hall on the WSU campus that was hit Tuesday morning by a another suspicious fire.   This makes it the third suspicious fire in a week.

Whitcom, the 911 dispatch center, received an alarm from McCoy hall around 12:30 am and dispatched Pullman firefighters to the building.  Firefighters started searching the large structure along, along with WSU police officers, and found nothing.  Then they discovered the sprinkler system had been triggered in an isolated part of the structure that was only accessible through the south entrance.

WSU police say a suspect in this arson fire gained entry by smashing the window at the south entrance.   Inside firefighters and police officers found several points of ignition that the suspect used to start several fires.  Fire damage was kept to a minimum because the overhead sprinkler system was activated and extinguished the flames.  There was very little fire damage but there was extensive water damage to the lower floor.

 The building and area surrounding McCoy Hall was immediately cordoned off as a crime scene.  WSU police officers, along with fire investigators from WSU and Pullman, are working the scene.  A tracking dog from the Spokane Police Department is also on the scene aiding in the investigation. 

 Pullman firefighters were called to two other fires that destroyed the community buildings at Nez Perce apartments on Tuesday morning (5/22) and Chief Joseph apartments on Saturday (5/26).