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A massive fire broke out Saturday afternoon in a laboratory building on the University of South Florida campus in St. Petersburg, authorities said.
Campus police said fire crews were called to the Marine Science Laboratory building for a structure fire.
No injuries were reported and the building was safely evacuated, police said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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Firefighters work to extinguish a fire on the University of South Florida campus in St. Petersburg, Florida, on May 2, 2026. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Large plumes of gray smoke rose from the building Saturday night.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, students and staff were alerted to the fire shortly before 6 p.m.
First responders work to extinguish a fire on the University of South Florida campus in St. Petersburg, Florida, on May 2, 2026. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
The school sent out an alert that read: “Urgent Alert. Fire reported at MSL, Marine Science Laboratory. Evacuate building. Avoid area. Emergency personnel responding.”
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St. Petersburg Fire Chief Michael Lewis said more than 60 units and about 200 firefighters responded to the scene.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire on the University of South Florida campus in St. Petersburg, Florida, on May 2, 2026, as onlookers watch. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Lewis said around 9 p.m. that the fire was largely extinguished, but the building was probably “a total loss.”
“The entire roof has burned,” he said, according to the report.
The University of South Florida said Saturday night that the building will remain closed until further notice.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., responded to news of the fire, calling it “horrible.”
“Please join Anne and I in praying for everyone involved and affected,” he wrote on X. “Thank God for our heroic first responders who run toward danger at times like this.”
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Firefighters battle a fire on the University of South Florida campus in St. Petersburg, Florida, on May 2, 2026. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
USF Police said they will provide additional updates as more information becomes available.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.