Jarrod Brinker massaged his bare feet as he sat in the chilly morning air outside Tolbert Hall.
When a fire in the O'Connell Center pump room ended his Tuesday swim practice, the freshman and other members of the Gator Swimming & Diving team were evacuated without the chance to collect their belongings.
The team members and an estimated 150 students and others were evacuated from the area because of the fire. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
There were no injuries or deaths. The University Police Department closed parts of Stadium Road as a result of the fire.
Someone called the University Police Department about the fire shortly before 8 a.m., said Capt. Jeff Holcomb, UPD spokesman. An officer arrived at the stadium and saw smoke coming from the room.
By the time Gainesville Fire Rescue had arrived at the scene, the fire had been extinguished by the center's sprinkler system, Holcomb said. There was concern about a possible chlorine leak, but officers found no evidence of such a danger.
People in the center, the nearby Wayne & Jimmie Carse Swimming and Diving Complex and the Van Fleet Hall, which houses UF ROTC members, were asked to evacuate.
