An enormous fire ripped through a key science facility at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg on Saturday afternoon, sending towering plumes of smoke into the sky and sparking fears of losing decades of research.
Two hundred firefighters with 60 engines raced to the scene from across the area, including crews from St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, as flames were seen blasting through the roof of the two-story building.
University officials identified the building as the university’s Marine Science Laboratory, believed to be more than 80 years old.
The blaze quickly escalated into a second-alarm emergency, with dozens of units responding. Streets were shut
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