Several agencies — including the FBI and the Northern Colorado Bomb Squad — are helping to investigate the cause of the fire that destroyed the main office of the Equine Reproduction Laboratory at Colorado State University early Tuesday morning.
But the presence of those agencies doesn’t necessarily mean the fire was deliberately set, Poudre Fire Authority spokesman Patrick Love said Friday.
Those agencies usually are called in to help when the structure is large and has a “higher dollar value,” Love said. “Frankly, they come in with a great deal of resources and expertise we can utilize.”
The fire caused $9 million to $15 million in damage, Love said. The cause of the blaze is still undetermined, and it may be weeks before one is established, he said.
No people or animals were hurt in the blaze, which was reported at 1 a.m. at the Equine Reproduction Laboratory complex at CSU’s Foothills Campus.
The office building included some labs, but it’s not known yet how much critical material was lost in the fire, CSU officials said.
Other agencies working with the Poudre Fire Authority and CSU police include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Longmont Fire Department.
Monte Whaley, The Denver Post
