Overview
- The two-alarm blaze, which erupted Saturday evening on the USF St. Petersburg campus, forced an evacuation with no injuries reported.
- Officials said about 200 firefighters and more than 60 units from across Tampa Bay fought the flames as collapse zones and street closures were set.
- Fire Chief Michael Lewis confirmed late Saturday the roof burned off and the structure is likely a total loss, with air checks showing no hazard to nearby areas.
- Crews are knocking down hot spots under hazmat protocols because the labs stored chemicals, and the cause remains unknown pending a full examination.
- Students and faculty warned that decades of research samples and specialized gear may be gone, including work on hurricanes, red tide, fish, and coastal ecology.