CSU equine reproductive laboratory was severely damaged by a fire early the morning of July 26. Though authorities say the building may be a total loss, no humans or animals were injured in the fire.
Cause of the fire is currently unknown, and there’s not a timeline as to when it will be.
“Our investigators are on the scene as we speak,” said Poudre Fire Authority spokesman Patrick Love on Tuesday afternoon. “They have made their way into the building and are trying to determine the area and origin, and later, the cause.”
The fire was first reported at 1 a.m. on the 23rd by a bystander, and by the time the PFA had arrived, flames as high as 20 feet were shooting into the sky, Love said. The lab’s roof collapsed while firefighters were working on the blaze.
No horses were boarded in the building, though horses in the complex nearby were moved as a safety precaution to avoid smoky areas by CSUPD officers, faculty and students.
The 6,400 square foot building was located on CSU’s Foothills Campus and mainly housed office and research facilities, though CSU Spokeswoman Dell Rae Moellenberg said that some rooms occasionally served as classrooms.
“It’s going to have a huge impact not only on the education of CSU students, but also on the equine community here in Colorado and in the advancement of reproduction research,” said Callie Knight, a junior equine sciences major.
The fire caused up to $12 million in property and damage, according to Love, and Moellenberg says it’s far too early to know the total loss of the contents of the building.