Sun, Nov 23, 2008
CRAIG WELLMAN / ARIZONA DAILY STAR 1973

Tucson Region

Tucson Time Capsule : fire sparked UA evacuation

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.12.2008
More than 800 people were evacuated from the University of Arizona Student Union on Oct. 12, 1973, because of a grease fire in the basement. But as lots of UA alums know, the basement of the union was not just a basement, it was one of the students' favorite hangouts: Louie's Lower Level. Caked grease in a kitchen exhaust fan started the fire, which spread throughout the building. It took firefighters 30 minutes to control the blaze, and two firefighters suffered minor injuries. The damage was estimated at $80,000. Read more about Louie's Lower Level in Tales From the Morgue at go.azstarnet.com/morguetales.