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WEBVTT RMITTED BY CODE, AS AFACTOR IN HOW HARD THE FIRE WASTO FIGHT.>> OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE ISACCESS TO THE BUILDING.REPORTER: WITH NO ONE PERMITTEDINSIDE THE DAMAGED APARTMENTBUILDING, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTYFIRE OFFICIALS USED A FIRETRUCK'S BUCKET TO EXAMINE THEAREA WHERE MONDAY'S FIRE SEEMSTO HAVE STARTED.EVEN TODAY, FIRE BURNED BENEATHTHE ROOF.>> IT'S A LIGHTWEIGHT WOOD TRUSSCONSTRUCTION AND A MAJORITY OFALL THE FIRE WAS IN THE ROOFAREA OF THE TRUSSES, WHICHIMMEDIATELY STARTED TO COLLAPSE.ONCE THEY ARE LOADED EXCESSIVELYBY WATER OR EXPOSED TO FIRE ISWHEN THEY HAVE A LARGE POTENTIALFOR COLLAPSE.REPORTER: THE FIRE STARTEDYESTERDAY MORNING.IT CAUSED SO MUCH SMOKE THEUNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CANCELLEDAFTERNOON CLASSES.ALL WAS BACK TO NORMAL TODAY.THE BUILDING WAS ABOUT A MONTHFROM COMPLETION.>> IT'S CALLED DONUT HOLECONSTRUCTION, WITH A BIGCOURTYARD IN THE MIDDLE.REPORTER: JOSHUA BACA IS WITH AGROUP THAT INCLUDES THE CONCRETEINDUSTRY THAT PUSHES FOR TOUGHERBUILDING CODES.THEY ADVOCATE FOR STEEL ANDCONCRETE TO BE USED, AND USEDMONDAY'S FIRE AS CASE IN POINT.>> THIS IS A LEGAL BUILDINGUNDER THE CURRENT CODE INMARYLAND.HOWEVER IT IS DANGEROUS AS WECAN SEE.WE BELIEVE THAT BUILDING WITHNON COMBUSTIBLE PRODUCTS LIKECONCRETE ARE SAFER THEY ARECHEAPER IN THE LONG RUN FORCONSUMERS AND THEY LAST ALIFETIMEREPORTER: BILLS IN THELEGISLATUIRE LAST YEAR THATWOULD HAVE IMPLEMENTED SUCHREQUIREMENTS FAILED.THE BUILDING INDUSTRY ARGUESLIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTIONMATERIALS ARE SAFE, CHEAPER ANDFASTERTHE NEXT JOB HERE IS TO SHORE UPTHE BUILDING.THAT IS WHAT THOSE YELLOWSUPPORTS ARE BEHIND ME.THEY WILL BE USED FROM THE

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Fire investigators got their first look Tuesday at what may have led to a massive five-alarm fire in College Park that burned an apartment building under construction. Download the WBAL app Prince George's County fire investigators were raised in a fire truck's bucket early Tuesday afternoon to examine the area of the apartment building where Monday's fire seems to have started. No one is yet permitted in the building, in the 4700 block of Berwyn House Road. Fire officials said the risk of collapse of the upper floors is too great. Firefighters continued to put out hot spots Tuesday. Fire officials cite the type of materials used in construction -- all permitted by code -- as a factor in how hard the fire was to fight. "Our biggest challenge is access to the building. It's a lightweight wood truss construction, and a majority of all the fire was in the roof area of the trusses, which immediately started to collapse," Prince George's County Assistant Fire Chief Alan Doubleday said. "Once they are loaded excessively by water or exposed to fire is when they have a large potential for collapse." The fire caused so much smoke that the University of Maryland-College Park canceled afternoon classes on Monday. All is back to normal on campus Tuesday. The building was about a month from completion. Joshua Baca is with Build With Strength, a group that includes the concrete industry that pushes for tougher building codes. The group advocates for steel and concrete to be used. The building that burned Monday used wood materials on the upper floors. "This is a legal building under the current code in Maryland; however, it is dangerous, as we can see," Baca said. "We believe that building with noncombustible products like concrete are safer. They are cheaper in the long run for consumers, and they last a lifetime." Bills heard last year in the General Assembly that would have implemented such requirements failed. The building industry argues lightweight construction materials are safe, cheaper and faster. What remains unknown about the fire is whether the sprinkler system was operable and did it work? "We're fortunate it was unoccupied at this point, for as much fire as we had," Doubleday said. The fire caused an estimated $39 million in damage and was the largest suppression effort and the highest fire loss estimate in the history of the Prince George's County Fire Department, officials said. Related: