Lightning strike likely to blame for fire that destroyed lab building on USF campus, officials say
May 05, 2026
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WSVN) — A lightning strike is a likely reason for a fire that destroyed a lab building on the University of South Florida campus, officials said.
Officials believe that a lightning strike ignited the blaze over the weekend on the school’s campus in Saint Petersburg.
Video captured the flames pouring out of the Marine Science lab.
No injuries were reported, but officials said decades of research were destroyed in the fire. ...read more read less