WESTWOOD - A laboratory at UCLA's Health and Sciences Center was significantly damaged by a fire this morning and at one point, brought nearly 150 Los Angeles Firefighters to the scene.

At 11:05 am on October 24, 2011, the LAFD responded to a reported "Structure Fire" in a seven-story, science building on the UCLA campus. A complete evacuation was already underway, as first arriving Firefighters made their ascent to the fifth floor of this facility. The Incident Commander noted the presence of hazardous materials clearly marked on exterior of the building, considered its size and type, as well as the time of day, and knew the potential existed for a very significant incident. Immediately, the request was made for additional resources, including the LAFD's Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Squad.

Firefighters quickly gained control and fully extinguish the blaze in 50 minutes, confining it to just one room. The incident then began to de-escalate and many of the on-scene resources were released.

With a full evacuation of the building in place, the HazMat Squad made entry and conducted precautionary testing. The facility was later deemed safe for students, faculty and employees, as they were allowed to re-populate all floors of the building, except the affected fire-floor.

We are pleased to report there were no injuries or illnesses, as a result of this incident. While the exact cause remains under investigation, the fire was determined "accidental" in nature. Dollar loss estimates were not yet available.

Dispatched Units:
E37 RA37 E71 RA71 E19 E288 T88 E269 T69 E81 T39 E239 H0C H0D H0F EM14 BC10 BC5 E60 SQ87 E88 H1 H2 H3 E87 T87 RA87 DC3 E237 T37 E292 T92 E94 E99 E109 E41 E51 E26 E278 T78 AR2 E295 T95 E226 T26 BC1 RA19 RA62 RA43 RA99 RA15 EM2 EM17 E59 BC9 EA1 BC4 EM9 UR88 CM3 RT59 RA63 EM11 RA59 LO1 RA58

Submitted by Matt Spence, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department