VENTURA : Fire Damages College Science Lab, Classroom
A fire sparked by a low-heat oven charred a classroom and lab at Ventura College on Wednesday, causing an estimated $45,000 in damage, authorities said.
Maintenance workers reported the blaze in the agriculture building about noon after a college instructor noticed smoke pouring from the east end of the locked building.
“I could see flames inside the room and there was quite a bit of smoke,” maintenance worker Conrad Rieder said. “I unlocked the door and tried to turn the lights on, but they didn’t work.”
Ventura city firefighters extinguished the flames within minutes of arriving.
Capt. Glenn True, who investigated the blaze, said a small crack in an oven used to dry plant samples caused the fire. For three weeks, the crack had allowed heat to escape, drying out the counter beneath the oven and sparking the fire on Wednesday.
“It was a long-term process,” True said. “It didn’t happen overnight.”
Flames charred several microscopes sitting on a counter near the oven and heavily damaged cabinets containing glassware for experiments. Smoke blackened the classroom’s walls and several wooden tables.
The agriculture building sits on the northeast edge of the campus near Loma Vista Road.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
