Early Tuesday morning, UCLA's campus was the scene of a hazardous materials situation following a fire in the Molecular Sciences Building, as confirmed by multiple sources. According to KTLA, the incident began with a fire in a laboratory kiln, which activated the building's fire suppression system and caused water to spill across several floors.
Firefighters and hazmat crews arrived at the scene shortly before 7:00 a.m., and the university's Molecular Sciences Building was promptly evacuated while fire crews, along with UCLA police, secured the area, per a report by NBC Los Angeles. They checked for any possible chemical contamination following the over-pressurized laboratory vessel releasing gas that triggered the sprinklers, according to FOX LA.
"Fire extinguisher sprinklers put out the fire, causing water runoff to spill onto the fifth, fourth and third floors," Los Angeles Fire Department public information officer Brian Humphrey informed KTLA. Thankfully, no contaminants were found in the water, and no injuries were reported. Those impacted by the situation were given guidance by the UCLA Police Department via a BruinALERT, which advised finding alternative routes to avoid traffic delays associated with the emergency response.
While the immediate danger appears to have been mitigated, the cleanup and investigation into the exact cause of the incident are ongoing with UCLA fire officials leading the probe crews are going floor to floor, checking the water to ensure it's not contaminated as LAFD hands off the investigative responsibilities, according to FOX LA. Charles E. Young Drive East remained open during the response, ensuring that the disruption to campus life was as minimal as possible.
