Students evacuated from Florida university building as huge fire breaks out on campus

By JAMES GORDON, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:04, 3 May 2026 | Updated: 00:29, 3 May 2026 A fast-moving fire tore through a building on the campus of the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg on Saturday afternoon, sending thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and triggering a major emergency response. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue crews rushed to the scene at 140 7th Avenue South, where flames could be seen shooting from the roof of a two-story structure. The St. Pete Fire Department said the building was the USF Marine Science Lab. Thick clouds of smoke were visible from miles around as they rose high above the area as firefighters worked to contain the blaze. Officials confirmed the fire escalated to a second alarm, signaling the seriousness of the situation, with multiple units deployed and streets around the building sealed off as a precaution in case of a collapse. Thick plumes of smoke could be seen rising above a commercial building near the University of South Florida St. Petersburg as a two-alarm fire prompted a major emergency response Bright orange flames could be seen emanating from the roof of what's believed to be the science building The fire broke out close to the marine with flames visible behind the boats  Authorities say the structure, described as a non-residential commercial property, was evacuated quickly, and so far no injuries have been reported. Emergency crews are still on site battling the flames, with the extent of the damage still unclear. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.  The smoke could be seen from some distance away This is a breaking news story with updates to follow.   The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.