Classes will continue after fire at UW-Eau Claire

Though a fire did extensive damage to a second-floor student research lab in Phillips Hall early Saturday morning at UW-Eau Claire, the building is open and all classes will be held as scheduled on Monday, according to a release sent out by UW-Eau Claire.

The Eau Claire Fire Department was dispatched just before 5:20 a.m. No one was injured in the fire.

The university says the fire in the Geography and Anthropology Student Research Lab was contained fire crews, and a commercial cleaning and restoration crew began remediation hours after the fire was extinguished.

Room 266A will remain closed until all cleaning and repairs are complete.

The UW-Eau Claire facilities team inspected and confirmed the building’s electrical, plumbing and air handling systems were not damaged by the fire, and all fire alarms in Phillips are in working order.

According to Eau Claire Fire, the damage is estimated to cost about $50,000. UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt praised Eau Claire Fire & Rescue for their quick response.

“I want to thank the Eau Claire Fire Department, our campus police and our facilities team for responding so quickly to the fire,” Schmidt said. ““Their quick response helped contain the fire and limit the damage to the rest of the building.”

According to the university release, Phillips Hall was built in the 1960s and does not have a sprinkler system.