UT Environmental Health and Safety and the Houston Fire Department responded to a fire at the UT Medical School on the 4th floor around 2 p.m., August 20. The fire originated in a small common-use mail room/kitchen in the Blue Section of the building, setting off an alarm on floors 3, 4 and 5.

Clean up and damage assessment efforts are underway.  Water from the sprinkler head that discharged and put out the fire is being removed from two hallways and several lab areas.  Routine work is impacted in these areas, but all other areas are returning to normal functions.

The fire appears to have started by a short in an electrical cord behind a refrigerator.