A fire broke out Saturday evening at a marine science laboratory building on the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus, prompting an evacuation as plumes of gray smoke billowed from the structure, authorities said.
University police and the St. Petersburg Fire Department responded to the scene. No injuries had been reported as of Saturday night, according to statements from both agencies.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation, and officials did not immediately say whether any hazardous materials were stored in the building or whether research projects were affected. The university said more information would be released as it became available.