UPDATE: Pullman PD has confirmed that the suspect is now in custody. The bomb squad is currently examining the suspect’s vehicle, which has resulted in the closure of US195 south of Uniontown. It was reported that the individual accidentally discharged a firearm from the vehicle; fortunately, no injuries occurred.

Local law enforcement is engaged in a standoff with a suspect believed to have used an explosive device to ignite a fire at an apartment complex in Pullman on Sunday afternoon.

Pullman Police Commander Ruben Harris informed KHQ news in Spokane that the incidents occurring this evening on the Palouse are interconnected. He confirmed that an explosive device was responsible for starting the fire at an apartment building on Larry Street located on Military Hill. The fire broke out around 5:30 PM, resulting in the destruction of eight units, and the nearby apartment building has also been evacuated. The fire has since been extinguished, and no injuries were reported.

Commander Harris further stated that the suspect is involved in a standoff with local law enforcement on U.S. Highway 195 south of Uniontown, close to the state line. Negotiators are currently in communication with the suspect, who is wanted on an arrest warrant for first-degree arson. It has been noted that the suspect was a resident of the apartment complex affected by the fire. The Red Cross has been contacted to provide assistance to those displaced by the incident.

U.S. Highway 195 near the state line remains closed, along with surrounding streets near the fire scene, including portions of Larry, Yates, Friel, and Ann, where the bomb squad is actively responding. The City of Moscow and Whitman County Fire District 12 Volunteer Departments have been called to support the Pullman Fire Department in managing the fire.