BOSTON—Boston firefighters easily contained a small fire at a controversial research laboratory under construction that is being designed to study some of the world's most dangerous germs and viruses.
The small fire inside a construction waste cart on the fifth floor of Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories on Saturday afternoon was probably caused by careless disposal of a cigarette, fire department spokesman Steve MacDonald said.
The fire generated lots of smoke because there are few windows in the building and the ventilation system is not yet operational, he said.
The lab in the city's South End neighborhood will eventually host research into ebola, plague, anthrax and other dangerous biological agents but is fiercely opposed by some nearby residents, but MacDonald said there was no evidence of arson.
There are no dangerous substances currently in the building, which is about 75 percent complete, a Boston University spokesman said.
There were some construction workers on site at the time of the fire, but no one was hurt, MacDonald said.
Workers are not supposed to smoke in the building.
Damage was estimated at $5,000.
