Fire destroys UWGB apartment

GREEN BAY - An on-campus apartment building at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a total loss after fire early Thursday morning.

A newspaper carrier called in the fire around 5 a.m. The building was unoccupied at the time, but other nearby buildings being used for summer camps were evacuated as a precaution.

When firefighters arrived on scene the apartment building had heavy flames and smoke showing. A total of 13 units responded and it took firefighters approximately 70 minutes to get the fire under control. Officials say no one was injured.

The 17-unit, 63-bed building is one of the originals on campus. It used to be known as Apartment 109, but now has an address of 3334 Walter Way, according to university spokesman Mike Heine.

Heine says damage to the building is estimated at $3.5 million.

According to Heine students were assigned to the building for the upcoming school year. The University is currently in the process of looking at both on and off campus housing options. They will notify all students assigned to Apartment 109 when a housing plan is finalized. That is expected in about a week.

All summer camps at UW-Green Bay continued Thursday as planned. Mona Christensen, coordinator of summer camps, says the nearly 500 young people staying on campus this week were housed in residence halls some distance from the fire. Three halls, housing 69 students were evacuated as a precaution. They were moved to the Community Center.

According to Christensen the teens staying on campus this week are participants in the state music association honors camp, the pre-college Upward Bound program and Summer Art Studio.

Members of the Brown County Arson Task Force and the State Fire Marshall's office remained on scene for most of the day.

Investigators say the cause of the fire is undetermined, but have not ruled out the possibility of an electrical cause. Investigators have ruled out foul play and arson.