Southeast's Dempster Hall building closed all week after fire

Southeast Missouri State University's Dempster Hall will be closed the rest of the week after a Monday fire on the roof, the university announced Tuesday.

A final assessment by the university's insurance company and engineers will be completed in the next few days, and the timing on reopening portions of the building will be shared at that time, Kathy Mangels, vice president for finance and administration, said in a news release.

She also said instructors will be in contact with students who are enrolled in summer classes that were meeting in Dempster Hall about class locations.

Departments and employees with offices in the building will be temporarily relocated, the news release said. Some of those employees were working in Dempster after their offices were moved out of Academic Hall for a renovation.

Mangels said cleanup in the building has started, and structural engineers are evaluating the roof so repairs can be determined.

No one was hurt in the Monday fire. Southeast spokeswoman Ann Hayes said the university didn't know the cause of the fire as of Tuesday afternoon.

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814 N. Henderson Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO