Fire Hits UW

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By By Tracy Vedder

Summary

Urban horticulture building up in smoke.

Story Published: May 21, 2001 at 3:01 AM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 24, 2009 at 10:29 AM PDT

Fire Hits UW
SEATTLE - An early morning three-alarm fire at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture caused millions in damages.

But this wasn't just a U.W. research facility. They operate a master gardener's program there, answer general gardening questions from the public, and every summer there are dozens of weddings held on the grounds.

It is a community resource and the people who work there say it is a community loss.

"It's one of the most loved places at the University of Washington," says Professor John Wott. "And everybody wants to be part of it and once you're a part of it your heart is here."

The fire left only a husk of the building. In addition to student classes, it offers outreach programs for the general public, and on its lower level, houses research projects -- some of them more than 20 years running.

'Boom', It's Gone

In some cases the work is irreplaceable.

"There's young grad students and faculty really starting out their careers," says Center Director Dr. Tom Hinckley, "and this is the first major thing that they've worked on and boom it's gone."

But it's not just career work that's gone. Some staff were working to save rare and endangered plant species.

And another priceless resource at risk are thousands of horticultural books from the 17th and 18th century brought to the university for safe-keeping.

"I'm very worried about these books because a lot of them are irreplaceable," says Center Director Valerie Easton, "there are not copies in existence other than these and maybe one or two others in horticultural libraries around the world."

The structural damage is estimated at about $1 million. That figure could double or even triple considering what was inside.

An arson investigation team is treating the area on the main floor where the fire started as a crime scene. But the thought that the Center might be anyone's target astounds those who work here.

"Someone wants to terrorize good ecosystem research, good biology?" asks Hinckley. "That's pretty crazy."