Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, December 18, 1993                   TAG: 9312180096
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Short

FIRE DESTROYS TEMPORARY TECH CLASSROOM

But university officials are thankful they have a month before the next semester begins to decide where to move the classes.

Mike Jones, Tech's police chief, said the fire was reported at about 7:15 a.m. Friday. Firefighters put the blaze out in about 30 minutes, but the building, which housed four classrooms, sustained about $100,000 in damage.

One of the four units was destroyed, windows burst from the heat and one wall of the building was destroyed. There was smoke and water damage in the rest of the building, which sits near the Tech rescue squad building and Stanger Street.

Today was the last day before winter break for the students. Most were finishing exams today but there was no one in the building when the fire broke out, Jones said.

A Tech police officer who went into the building with a fire extinguisher to make sure the rooms were vacant was briefly hospitalized for smoke inhalation, Jones said.