Fire causes $500,000 in damages to University of Iowa lab

IOWA CITY - A Sunday night fire did an estimated half-million dollars in damage to a University of Iowa laboratory.

According to Iowa City Fire Department officials and University of Iowa Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Hayley Bruce, firefighters were called to the Bowen Science Building, 51 Newton Road, at 5:45 p.m. when a fire alarm detected heat in the building. There, firefighters found a fire in a second floor laboratory. The fire - which was contained to the lab thanks to the building's sprinkler system - was put out in about 20 minutes, according to fire officials.

Damage to the building's structure and to the contents of the lab is estimated at $500,000, fire officials said. Bruce said that estimate does not include water damage, which struck one-third of the first and second floors of the building.

Deputy Fire Chief Brian Platz said without the building's sprinkler system, the fire damage could have been 'tenfold.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Bruce said the research conducted in the damaged lab was predominantly medical and non-hazardous in nature. While some of the research has been interrupted due to the fire, no data has been lost and no classes are expected to be impacted, Bruce said.

UI administrators are working to develop a moving plan for the researchers affected by the fire, Bruce said.

The fire department was assisted by the Johnson County Ambulance Service, Johnson County Emergency Communications Center, University of Iowa Department of Public Safety, University of Iowa Health Protection Office and lab staff.

No one was hurt in the fire.

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