A fire at USF’s College of Marine Science in St. Pete reignited Monday.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A fire sparked Monday morning at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus, reigniting concerns just days after a massive blaze destroyed a key research facility.
Officials say the latest incident was caused by a smoldering hotspot left behind from Saturday’s two-alarm fire at the College of Marine Science. Crews returned to extinguish the flare-up, which did not result in any injuries but has kept parts of campus blocked off and under investigation.
The original fire, which began Saturday evening, sent thick smoke visible for miles across the city. While the exact cause remains under investigation, early reports suggest lightning in the area may have played a role.
The fire devastated the university’s Marine Science Lab — a globally recognized research hub — with officials calling the building a “total loss.” The facility housed dozens of researchers, graduate students and millions of dollars in specialized equipment.
Oceanography professor Chaunmin Hu described watching the flames from a distance.
“It’s heartbreaking. All we could do was hope for the best,” Hu said.
He fears years of research — including irreplaceable ocean samples stored in specialized freezers — may be destroyed due to power loss and water damage.
Beyond the physical damage, the fire’s academic impact could be severe.
Hu says many graduate students who depended on those samples for their theses and dissertations may now face significant delays.
“Students spent months or even couple of years to prepare those samples or data analysis, and all of a sudden, the samples are gone,” Hu said. “They have to spend time and effort to recollect all the samples and restart everything. So that’s a delay in the graduation. That’s a huge impact on their career and on their family.”
As of Monday, parts of the St. Pete campus remain closed off, with barricades and emergency crews still on site. There is no timeline for full reopening.
University officials are expected to hold a meeting to provide updates on damage assessments and next steps for relocating labs and continuing research Tuesday.