GFR extinguishes fire at building under construction on campus

Staff report from Gainesville Fire Rescue social media post

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At approximately 11:55 a.m. on June 24, multiple Gainesville Fire Rescue units responded to a reported structure fire at the new architecture building on the University of Florida campus.

Upon arrival, crews reported a working fire on the roof of an approximately 80,000-sq-foot building that was under construction. Multiple crews quickly made it to the roof and found an active fire involving various roofing materials, including rolled roofing, multiple cans of tar, and four large 40-pound propane cylinders.

Crews used water extinguishers to keep the fire at bay while removing the propane cylinders and then created an elevated waterway to deploy hand lines and fully extinguish the fire. Gainesville Fire Rescue’s hazmat team coordinated with the other units to assess the propane tanks and other materials to ensure there were no further hazards.

Thanks to the early reporting from construction crews and the quick actions of first responders, a major fire was prevented and a potential multi-million-dollar loss was avoided.