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“While the investigation is continuing, regularly scheduled work is ongoing at the arena today and preliminary indications are that the overall construction schedule will not be significantly disrupted,” university officials said in a statement.
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The fire was contained to the roof with damage described as minor, according to firefighters and university officials.
Work crews at UD Arena are working on the second phase of a three-year, $72 million renovation project that started in 2017.
FIRST REPORT
Firefighters were called to the University of Dayton Arena after a passerby noticed flames coming from the roof Monday morning, officials said.
OTHER LOCAL NEWS: Fire at Dayton duplex considered suspicious, officials say
As firefighters worked to get to the roof of the arena around 6 a.m., construction workers on site successfully used fire extinguishers to put out the flames.
“It was an isolated, small fire that was knocked down quickly,” said Jeff Payne, Dayton Fire Chief.
Officials say a preliminary investigation reveals that the temperature difference in the steel from structural work being done on the roof may have ignited the roofing material.
Danis Construction is the contractor signed to do the renovations at the arena. The same company is working on the new CareSource building in downtown Dayton, which also dealt with a roof fire earlier this year.
There were no injuries, and the confirmed cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The fire is not considered suspicious, officials say.
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