Other / Not Specified, Other Business Champaign, IL – Potentially dangerous laboratory fire held in check by sprinkler system May 19, 2015 viking210 The fire marshal said the cause of a fire in a research building on Champaign’s north side was accidental. John Koller said firefighters were called to Obiter Research, 2809 Gemini Court, at 3:07 p.m. Monday. The company specializes in custom contract chemical research and manufacturing of difficult or complex chemical compounds. “When we got to the building, there wasn’t any fire showing,” Koller said. “The sprinkler system kept the fire in check. We soon found a small amount of fire and mostly smoke.” Koller said the smoke was limited to one lab room that was walled off from the rest of the building. “There was an alcohol-based substance in the lab that a spark got to and ignited it,” he said. He said firefighters had the blaze under control within minutes. “There was no structural damage to the building,” he said. All employees were evacuated. “We had worked with them on an emergency plan in the past, and the employees effectively carried it out,” Koller said. According to Koller, one man who was in the room where the spark ignited was “shaken up” and checked by paramedics at the scene, but the man did not need to go to the hospital. No firefighters were injured, he said.
