Day-to-day operations at the Colorado State University (CSU) Equine Reproduction Laboratory will continue despite a blaze that consumed the laboratory's facilities at the CSU Foothills Campus in Fort Collins early Tuesday morning.
Fire crews battle an early morning blaze at the CSU Equine Reproduction Laboratory on July 26.
The CSU Equine Reproduction Laboratory is a teaching, research, and service facility connected to the CSU Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory. Work there includes reproductive veterinary research and services such as artificial insemination. The facility's staff pioneered reproductive techniques such as semen collection and artificial insemination, equine embryo recovery and transfer, and the shipping of cooled semen and embryos.
Poudre Fire Authority spokesperson Patrick Love said the fire was reported at 1 a.m. on July 26. Upon arrival, firefighters found 20-foot flames coming through the facility's roof. The structure appears to be a total loss, Love said.
Dell Rae Moellenberg, CSU senior media and community relations coordinator, said no horses were located inside the facility at the time of the fire. Between 20 and 30 animals stabled nearby were relocated, she said.
"All of the horses in the immediate area were moved out of smoke from the fire," Moellenburg said. "Most were owned by clients. All of the horses are safe and were not in danger."
Moellenburg said the blaze displaced between 12 and 15 staff members, including some student employees, who will carry out the lab's day-to-day operations at another location.
"Impact will be minimal to the daily activities," Moellenberg said. "The long-term impact on research data is yet to be determined."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said Love; "It could take days or weeks to determine what caused the fire."
