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Officials say a fire destroyed a research building at Virginia Tech.
Media outlets report it happened at the Prices Fork Research Station on Sunday night.
Bob Schubert, the College of Architecture and Urban Studies’ associate dean for research, says the building housed a variety of projects, including FutureHAUS, a home that contained smart technologic features. He described the loss as “devastating,” saying it was a valuable site for research and many tools were kept there.
School officials estimate the building and lost equipment were worth $800,000 to $1.3 million.
Blacksburg Fire Department Chief Bobby Carner says firefighters faced high winds as they tried to contain the fire. He says no one was inside at the time.
Carner says the cause is under investigation, but appears accidental so far.