Emergency personnel in St. Petersburg responded to a two-alarm structure fire at the University of South Florida’s Marine Science Laboratory on Saturday evening, officials said.
No injuries have been reported, and the building has been evacuated, USF police and St. Petersburg Fire Rescue said in news releases.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
First responders from St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, USF police and other agencies were on the scene. The Pinellas County Safety and Emergency Services website said more than 70 units were deployed to the site at 140 Seventh Ave. S., at 5:39 p.m.
As of 8 p.m. Saturday, the fire remained active, according to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue.
According to the USF website, the Marine Science Laboratory is the primary research building for the College of Marine Science, housing advanced chemistry, biology and oceanography labs, marine research systems, and high-end scientific equipment used to study everything from Tampa Bay water quality to global climate change.
According to the website, the bayfront structure dates to 1940, when it used as a dormitory for the United States Merchant Marines. The building became part of USF’s Marine Science research campus during expansions in the 1990s and 2000s.
This is a breaking story. Check with WUSF for updates.
