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Two fires reported at University of Iowa lab in two days

Sep. 1, 2023 2:42 pm
IOWA CITY — A fire was reported at a University of Iowa lab Friday, the day after another fire was reported at the same building. .
The Friday fire was reported at 10:37 a.m. at the Iowa Advanced Technology lab and “stabilized” by 11:28 a.m., according to a UI news release.
No injuries were reported.
“Foul play is not suspected, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Iowa City Fire Department,” the UI news release stated.
A damage estimate is not yet available.
A Hawk Alert went out campuswide about the fire, with a follow-up alert saying the alert was current and not an accidental repeat of Thursday’s alert.
Thursday’s fire, reported at 1:07 p.m., was behind steel wall panels. It was put out quickly after Iowa City firefighters removed the steel panels and construction materials in the area.
A staff member working in the building smelled wood burning and went outside to see smoke coming from behind the steel panels, according to a Thursday news release.
The building was evacuated, and no one was injured. The UI said Thursday the fire was not expected to interfere with activities in the building, 205 N. Madison St.
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