Animal Sciences Laboratory fire caused by chemical ignition

By Daily Illini Staff Report

Update (2:45 p.m., Thursday): The Urbana Fire Department has determined the small fire was started by a highly flammable liquid and a heat source. The liquid was a ether, which is used to turn solid substances into a liquid.

Urbana Fire Prevention Officer Jeremy Leevey said he doesn’t know what caused the chemicals to ignite.

The department says it does not have a damage estimate at this time. Small pieces of equipment, plastics and petri dishes were damaged in the fire, but the building was not, Leevey said.

The fire department was dispatched at 4:31 p.m., and the fire was almost immediately put out, Leevey said.

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The Urbana Fire Department is investigating a the cause of a fire that occurred in the Animal Sciences Laboratory Wednesday.

According to UFD, there was a fire in Room 293 which caused the sprinklers to go off. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is unknown.

The fire department said there’s a lot of water on the ground, from the sprinklers, and it’s now spilling onto the first floor.