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Lightning-Triggered Fire Ravages USF Marine Lab, Gray Smoke Over Tampa

5/4/2026

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Firefighters Battle Lab Fire

Gray smoke from the blaze drifted for miles across Tampa Bay, triggering a massive emergency response.
Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire at USF’s Marine Science Laboratory in St. Petersburg, saying the building may be total loss.
Investigators are probing the cause, noting lightning storm passed near campus at fire’s onset.
The 1940-era lab housed chemistry, biology and oceanography labs, chemicals, prompting removal of compressed-gas cylinders.

Right

Firefighters Evacuate Lab

More than 60 fire units and about 200 firefighters responded to the blaze.
A fire erupted at the University of South Florida’s Marine Science Laboratory in St. Petersburg, prompting an evacuation of the building.
Firefighters worked through the night, cautioning that the 80-year-old laboratory could be a total loss.
University officials issued an urgent evacuation alert, urging the campus area to be avoided.

History

Historical Context

UC Berkeley’s chemistry complex, anchored by the 1917-built Gilman Hall and expanded through the 1990s, shows decades of aging research facilities. The 1970s, marked by the Ponet Square arson in September 1970 and the South Bronx building blazes, prompted new fire-safety ordinances. Today, the USF Marine Science Laboratory fire echoes those historic safety challenges.

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Firefighters Battle Lab Fire

Gray smoke from the blaze drifted for miles across Tampa Bay, triggering a massive emergency response.
Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire at USF’s Marine Science Laboratory in St. Petersburg, saying the building may be total loss.
Investigators are probing the cause, noting lightning storm passed near campus at fire’s onset.
The 1940-era lab housed chemistry, biology and oceanography labs, chemicals, prompting removal of compressed-gas cylinders.

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