Campus Renovations

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.