About $2,000 worth of contents was lost in a small chemical fire in September in a third-floor lab of the Central Academic Building, according to a report from the San Antonio Fire Department.
The fire, reported to SAFD at 5:40 p.m. on Sept. 14, started during a lab in Room 302 of CAB, causing an evacuation of the entire building and canceling classes for the rest of the evening.
The fire was caused by misuse of equipment, according to the 8:31 p.m. report, which described a student conducting an experiment and catching a small plastic beaker of ethanol on fire, along with a small trash bag and a plastic divider.
The heat source, according to the report, was a cigarette lighter.
The BIOL 2421, Introduction to Microbiology, lab was in session at that time, according to JagWire.
Dr. Brenda Rushing, instructional associate professor of biology, who is listed on JagWire as the instructor, declined an interview request from The Mesquite.
No injuries were reported and the building was reopened later that night according to a tweet sent out by the university.
