CSU's Equine Reproductive Lab Burns To The Ground

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - A Colorado State University birthing lab for horses burned to the ground early Tuesday morning.

Firefighters worked quickly to evacuate horses from surrounding stables located on the CSU Foothills Campus. There were no injuries to animals or people.

Officials said the Equine Reproductive Laboratory will be a total loss. A Preliminary estimate of the damage is $12 million.

When firefighters arrived at 1 a.m. flames were shooting 20 feet through the roof. Two dozen firefighter battled the blaze, but were unable to save the lab.

Cpt. Patrick Love of the Poudre Fire Authority told CBS4's Shaun Boyd how they attacked the fire.

"Our fire fighters attacked the fire from the exterior due to the fact that there were no life safety issues and the roof was so unstable," Love said. "Also we had two ladder trucks sprayed water from up above trying to extinguish the fire."

The lab was world-renown for its ground-breaking research.

"We have people come in from all over the world to learn some of the reproductive technologies take place here," said Colin Clay, CSU Biomedical Sciences Director.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but officials say it isn't considered suspicious.