Thick smoke and flames rose above the USF St. Petersburg campus last evening after a fire broke out in a waterfront building, triggering evacuations and a massive emergency response. Students, staff and visitors inside the structure were cleared out as crews moved in, and city firefighters reported no injuries while they worked to contain the blaze.
Two-alarm blaze and on-scene response
According to Spectrum Bay News 9, the incident was escalated to a two-alarm fire as firefighters focused on knocking down the heavy smoke and flames. The outlet shared on-scene photos that showed the fire burning at the waterfront building.
Evacuations and investigation
As reported by FOX 13 Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue said the structure at 140 7th Avenue South was safely evacuated and there were no reported injuries. Officials told reporters the incident remained active and that the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Which building was affected
140 7th Avenue South is listed on campus maps as part of USF St. Petersburg's downtown footprint and houses student-life and marine science offices, according to USF St. Petersburg. The address places the blaze inside the university's core downtown block and near other academic spaces and student centers.
What comes next
City and university officials said they would release updates as investigators work to determine a cause, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported. This story will be updated as officials provide more details or announce any impact on campus operations.
