Lab Blaze Ruins Years of Genetic Research

A fire that tore through laboratories at UC Santa Cruz has destroyed valuable genetic research that took years to develop, officials said.

The fire broke out early Friday on the fourth floor of Sinsheimer Laboratories, the campus’ primary biology building. It later flared up twice more, said the university’s Fire Chief Charles Hernandez.

At one point, as many as 65 firefighters and 15 engines fought the blaze, campus officials said. No injuries were reported.

Although campus police were alerted to the blaze by a heat-detection system, Hernandez said, the building did not contain a sprinkler system because it was built in 1987, before fire codes mandated one.

Manuel Ares, chairman of the molecular, cell and developmental biology department, said many of the genetic strains in his lab took 14 years to develop and could take that long to replace.

“It’s a devastating situation,” he said. “I don’t know how far it has set me back.”

Ares’ work was related to the Human Genome Project, a national effort to identify the tens of thousands of genes in human DNA. He studies how genes act differently in healthy and diseased cells.

In addition to the damage done to Ares’ lab and one other, the Sinsheimer building suffered extensive water and smoke damage. Pump trucks were brought in Saturday to help remove water from the building, and many laboratory samples were moved elsewhere on campus.

Campus spokesman Jim Burns could not estimate damages Saturday but said it was sure to be in the millions.

He said that a team of investigators from the California Department of Forestry and the state fire marshal’s office had arrived Saturday to comb the building for clues as to the cause of the blaze.

Their report is not expected for several days.