Now, as investigators and university leaders continue assessing the full extent of the damage, the St. Petersburg<\/a> community is stepping up to help.<\/p>\n What they’re saying<\/p>\n USF <\/a>distinguished professor Dr. Chuanmin Hu said he rushed to the scene as flames and smoke filled the sky.<\/p>\n “I rushed to the spot. I watched the flame and the smoke from far away. My heart was broken. And I could only hope [for] the best, just hope,” Hu said.<\/p>\n For Hu, the building housed nearly 30 years of work studying oceans and coastal issues<\/a> using satellites and optical technology<\/a>.<\/p>\n “That\u2019s basically my life. I spend literally more time in that office than in my home,” Hu said.<\/p>\n The full extent of the damage remains unclear. Hu said his lab alone contained more than $1 million worth of scientific <\/a>instruments.<\/p>\n “My lab, entire lab with over one million dollar instrumentation are in that building, and currently I have no idea what happened to those instruments,” Hu said.<\/p>\n Big picture view<\/p>\n But what became clear Friday was the overwhelming support from the community.<\/p>\n Dozens gathered for a fundraiser aimed at supporting research recovery efforts, replacing damaged equipment and helping scientists rebuild.<\/p>\n “I\u2019m really touched. I\u2019m so thankful to the community support,” Hu said.<\/p>\n Dean Tom Frazer said it could take time before the university fully understands the financial impact of the fire.<\/p>\n “Any donation is going to help us replace the things we\u2019ve lost, and the goal is obviously to become operational as soon as possible. We need to get back in the game,” Frazer said.<\/p>\n Also attending the fundraiser were some of the firefighters<\/a> who worked to contain the blaze and salvage what they could from inside the building<\/a>.<\/p>\n “There was more than 200 first responders<\/a> on scene. They worked tirelessly to put that fire out,” Frazer said. “I\u2019ve never seen so many people work that hard.”<\/p>\n Community connection<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aol_fox_aggregated_articles_807\/6f621ab03a1da81f0c11b3c70795f234.jpeg\"\/)
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