MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A West Virginia University classroom building was damaged in a Friday afternoon fire.
The fire was reported at Armstrong Hall at just before 3 p.m.
WVU sent out an alert at about 3:15 p.m. that the fire was out.
Firefighters from Morgantown and Granville were on the scene. They were hitting the roof area with water.
Morgantown Fire Department incident commander Cpt. Mark Thallman said the fire began in an area were the building is undergoing some renovations.
“It looks like they’re installing some roofing material,” Thallman said. “Given the heat and everything that’s going on it’s hard to say at this point, but it will be determined- we did have a working fire.” They’re now in contact with another company who provides roof replacement services in Coatesville, PA to inspect the roofing renovation.
Thallman said fighters were able to keep the fire from spreading.
“The fire was contained to the Alpha side of the structure and along the parapet, so 75-feet of the front of the building perhaps and water damage on the 4th and a little bit on the 3rd floor,” Thallman said.
The state Fire Marshal’s Office has been called in to investigate the cause of the fire.
WVU officials said about 20 people, mostly faculty and staff, were evacuated from the building safely. There were no classes taking place at the time.
Update: Armstrong Hall will be closed to the public till further notice. You can resume normal activities in the area but be mindful of maintenance and first responders working in the area.https://t.co/oaEai2Tcl1
— WVU Alert (@WVUalert) June 17, 2022
Armstrong Hall sits in the middle of WVU’s downtown campus in Morgantown. It was built in 1950.
WVU says the building will be closed until further notice.