A fire at the Moody Music Building on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa has caused extensive damage.
WVTM-TV reports that the fire, initially reported Sunday afternoon, continued to burn through the night before being extinguished at 9:22 a.m. Monday.
Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue said that crews arriving on the scene found heavy smoke showing from the roof on the west side of the building. After determining that the fire was in the roofing system, crews cut six inches from the peak of the roof to get to the flames.
"The department was able to mitigate damage and salvage many valuable assets from the building," the fire department said in a news release.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire has not been determined and is under investigation.
University of Alabama Music Director Skip Snead released a statement that read in part:
"First and foremost, no one was injured. Once the fire had been contained to the point that designated people could move in and out of the building, we were able to move many of the contents to other parts of the building.
"There was extensive damage to that wing of the building. The fire was contained to the third floor, but substantial smoke and water damage occurred throughout that wing of the building, so there will be much repair work to do. The officials at the University of Alabama have been spectacular this evening even in these early hours. They have already stepped forward with plans to begin the reconstruction, and to move forward with all necessary repairs.
Video from WVTM-TV:
