Fire shuts down building on SEMO campus

A fire on the roof of Dempster Hall on the Southeast Missouri State University campus was contained within 15 minutes of the call to the fire department, according to Kathy Mangels, the university's vice president of finance and administration.

Mangels said fire officials told her the fire didn't breach the building.

Mangels said Monday afternoon the Cape Girardeau Fire Department and the university were clearing smoke from the building to further assess the damage. University officials later said today's classes are canceled in Dempster, and building employees shouldn't report to work.

Dr. Ken Dobbins, Southeast Missouri State University president, looks on the scene as firefighters work to put out a fire at Dempster Hall on the university's campus. (Laura Simon)

The call to the fire department was made about 1:30 p.m., and everyone in the building was evacuated in minutes. There were no injuries.

According to the fire department, there was heavy fire damage to the roof area, water and moderate smoke damage on the second floor and light smoke damage on the first floor.

Mangels said the flames were visible to those outside, and the fire alarm did go off, alerting those in the building.

Dempster Hall houses the university's business program and some administrative offices while Academic Hall undergoes renovation.

Pertinent address:

814 N. Henderson Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO