An extra-alarm fire at the Marine Science Lab on the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus may have left the building a total loss.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that more than 60 units with about 200 firefighters were summoned to the scene to battle the Saturday night blaze.
No one was believed to have been in the building when the fire started, officials said. No injuries were reported.
St. Petersburg Fire District Chief Michael Lewis said the building is likely “a total loss.”
“The entire roof has burned off,” he said.
Fire officials said lightning was reported in the area when the fire started, but the cause of the blaze was still under investigation.
University President Moez Limayem said in a message on the school's website that there was no ongoing public safety threat and no hazardous materials were released.
"[I]nitial information indicates the...building may be a total loss," Limayem said. "Our recovery teams are working with the College of Marine Science to prioritize key research material and equipment for salvage assessment when the building is cleared."
The university is working to relocate any classes or exams scheduled to be held in the area and is evaluating options to find alternative spaces for researchers, students and staff who used the Marine Science Lab.
