Tempe and Mesa Fire departments responded to a small fire on the fourth floor of the Engineering Research Center Tuesday morning.
The fire started around 11:30 a.m. and was caused by a charging laptop inside of a backpack, Tempe Fire spokesman Mike Reichling said.
“People need to understand that laptops need to be charged in a ventilated area and not in a backpack,” he said.
Fire sprinklers doused the flames in the building, but the water left extensive damage to the fourth floor and all floors under it, Reichling said.
The building will be closed for the rest of the day and is scheduled to reopen by tomorrow morning, he said.
ASU’s drug detection dog Disney and her trainer ASU Det. Parker Dunwoody were also on site because fire crews and University Police wanted to investigate a locked door for potential fire hazards, but nothing was found, Reichling said.
The building was evacuated before fire crews arrived and no one was harmed, Reichling said.
Reach the reporter at sraymund@asu.edu
