ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) \u2014 USF\u2019s Marine Science Laboratory, which caught fire over the weekend, may be a total loss. The university\u2019s president, Moez Limayem, released a statement saying there was lightning in the area, but the cause of the fire remains under investigation.<\/p>\n
St. Petersburg Fire says about 200 firefighters responded to the scene, no one was injured, and it took them about 3 hours to get the fire under control.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re hoping we can rescue some of our samples of marine science that have been collected literally over decades, and so they\u2019re irreplaceable. I mean, we can\u2019t go back in time and collect those kinds of materials, and so that\u2019s the real loss,\u201d said Thomas Smith, Interim Regional Chancellor for USF St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n
The structure dates back to the 1940s, and was a staple for the St. Petersburg campus, housing many of the labs for the college of marine science.<\/p>\n
\u201cInitially it was probably burning off the moisture from the roof trusses, and then as some of the contents of the labs were involved, that could provide a reason for different colored smoke,\u201d St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Brett Ciskoski said.<\/p>\n
Classes and labs in the building will now be relocated, and the future remains unclear for this structure. No monetary damage for the losses was provided by USF or St. Pete Fire Rescue at this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still going, but it\u2019s just so devastating. There are not enough words to describe, like the heartbreak that comes with all the events that have been happening recently,\u201d Torri Readnour, a USF Marine Biology student, said.<\/p>\n
For now, the university is hoping to recover from the grief of losing doctoral students Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon earlier this month, coupled with decades of research that can\u2019t be recovered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been having a moment of silence for the two students who were murdered, and then, you know, we have this happen,\u201d Interim Chancellor Smith said. \u201cIt really has an effect on everyone. But we\u2019re being resilient, that\u2019s how we\u2019re going to get through this.\u201d<\/p>\n
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