Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Construction at Texas University Causes Small Fire

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/28/21

Renovations to the Moody Coliseum on the campus of Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, resulted in a small fire on Tuesday night. The Abilene Fire Department responded to the call at about 10:30 p.m. and extinguished the flames without incident.

The fire was located in an upper area of the structure that was under construction; university officials said that it was on rebar near the roof. Several firetrucks arrived at the scene. Firefighters were able to put out the fire before it caused any significant damage, and there were no injuries reported.

The department estimated the damage at about $5,000. University spokeswoman Wendy Kilmer said that the fire was related to ongoing construction, but its exact cause—as well as its effect on construction moving forward—is still under investigation.

Renovations to the Moody Coliseum began in December. Upgrades to the 50-year-old sports arena will include extra leg room, larger seats, an added hospitality room, and accessibility upgrades. In order to improve the comfort of event attendees, the arena’s capacity is being reduced from about 4,100 to about 3,600. The project is scheduled for completion in August 2022.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Porter Family Center

    Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Tennessee Middle School Completes Health, Life Safety Renovations

    The Giles County Board of Education in Pulaski, Tenn., recently announced that a series of renovation projects has been completed at Bridgeforth Middle School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers and Brindley Construction to modernize building systems at one of the district’s oldest schools.

  • abstract illustration of school gym

    How the Gymnasium Can Serve as a Model for Learning Space Design

    Multipurpose gyms work because flexibility was built into the brief from the start, not retrofitted later. The same logic applies to academic spaces.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.