Local News

Minor explosion in UCLA science building leads to evacuation

By Julie Sharp

Updated on: April 1, 2025 / 12:51 PM PDT / CBS LA

Hazmat teams respond to UCLA campus room explosion

A UCLA campus science building was evacuated Tuesday morning following a minor explosion on the fifth floor.

Around 6 a.m., Los Angeles City Fire and UCLA fire crews responded to the incident in the Molecular Sciences Building.

Steve Lurie, the associate vice chancellor for campus and community safety, told the Daily Bruin that "a gas canister exceeded its pressure threshold," causing the explosion that triggered the building's sprinklers to turn on. This led to the building's evacuation.

Fire officials said that the water will be tested for contamination. The UCLA Police Department posted on X that no injuries were reported but warned around 7:30 a.m. that students should avoid the area. "Hazardous materials incident at the Molecular Sciences Building…Emergency crews are on the scene…" UCPD wrote on X.

According to the Daily Bruin, Lurie had said, to his knowledge, that no hazardous materials were released in the building.

Around 8:30 a.m., campus police cleared the incident, saying part of the building "remains closed for remediation activities/ monitoring as needed."

Julie Sharp

Julie Sharp is a digital producer at CBS Los Angeles. She is a South Bay native and majored in print journalism at Cal State University Long Beach. Julie previously reported for the Beach Reporter, contributed to the Palos Verdes Pulse and worked as a video journalist for CBS News before joining the CBS News Los Angeles website team.