A fire that broke out Thursday, Jan. 16 in the UC Riverside physics building prompted other campus buildings to be evacuated and the fire department to send a hazardous-materials team to campus out of a concern about radioactivity.
The blaze was reported at about 2:25 p.m. The Riverside Fire Department said firefighters encountered smoke coming from a lower floor from which all students and staff safely evacuated.
Firefighters immediately accessed the laboratory space where the blaze started, fully extinguishing it by 2:45 p.m., according to officials at the scene.
A hazmat unit was summoned because chemicals in the lab were exposed to the flames, though it was unclear whether any of the chemicals actually caught fire. The specific materials impacted were not provided.
The fire did not appear to be at risk of spreading to other buildings, said John Warren, a UCR spokesman. The fire is affecting traffic on campus, he said.
