Edmond fire’s cause unclear
BY DIANA BALDWIN
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Published: October 29, 2009
EDMOND — The cause of the Enclave Apartments fire remains undetermined, Edmond firefighters said Wednesday.
"After an extensive physical dig of the area, investigators reported they found no signs of an incendiary fire,” said
Assistant Fire Chief Tim Wheeler. A fire set with an incendiary device could be a sign of arson.
Investigators were unable to rule out a temporary electric line or discarded smoking materials as possible causes for the Oct. 19 fire at the apartments, which were under construction near Kelly Avenue and Covell Road and were valued at $14.5 million.
The fire started in a storage area on the bottom floor near the northeast corner of the 179,000-square-foot building, investigators said.
The room contained cabinets and other building material stacked from the floor to near the ceiling, Wheeler said.
The fire investigation is complete unless firefighters learn any new information, officials said.
"There is nothing else to do unless someone comes forward or there is new evidence,” Wheeler said.
No one lived in the 149 luxury apartments.
Workers were about two weeks from completing the construction after two years of work, apartment officials said.
At least 35 people were interviewed in the investigation that was conducted by Edmond firefighters and a U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Response Team that was asked to assist.
The 20-member federal team was in Edmond for three days after the apartment fire, said Special Agent Tom Crowley.
The response team came to Edmond at the request of Edmond firefighters, Crowley said.
"We were there to try to determine a cause,” Crowley said. "We had resources and manpower on site.”
The bureau established the National Response Team in 1978 to bring its expertise to federal, state and local investigators in meeting the challenges faced at the scenes of significant arson and explosives incidents.
The National Response Team consists of four teams organized geographically to cover the
United States.
Each team can respond within 24 hours to assist state and local law enforcement and fire service personnel in their investigations of fire sites.
The state Fire Marshal’s Office also assisted.
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