WESTWOOD, Calif. — A laboratory at UCLA’s Health and Sciences Center was significantly damaged by a fire Monday morning and at one point, nearly 150 Los Angeles Firefighters came to the scene.
At 11:05 am on October 24, the LAFD responded to a reported structure fire in a seven-story science building on the UCLA campus, according to a LAFD press release. A complete evacuation was already underway, as first arriving Firefighters made their ascent to the fifth floor of this facility.
The Incident Commander noted the presence of hazardous materials clearly marked on exterior of the building, considered its size and type, as well as the time of day, and knew the potential existed for a very significant incident. Immediately, the request was made for additional resources, including the LAFD’s Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Squad.
Firefighters quickly gained control and fully extinguish the blaze in 50 minutes, confining it to just one room. The incident then began to de-escalate and many of the on-scene resources were released.
With a full evacuation of the building in place, the HazMat Squad made entry and conducted precautionary testing. The facility was later deemed safe for students, faculty and employees, as they were allowed to re-populate all floors of the building, except the affected fire-floor.
There were no injuries or illnesses as a result of this incident. While the exact cause remains under investigation, the fire was determined “accidental” in nature. Dollar loss estimates were not yet available.
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