Godfrey Fire Chief Details Fire On Lewis and Clark Campus At Weber Workforce Center Building
Godfrey, Alton, and Fosterburg fire crews collaborated to extinguish a fire fueled by acetylene on Tuesday morning, Dec. 2, 2025.
GODFREY - Lewis and Clark Community College canceled all welding classes Tuesday morning, Dec. 2, 2025, after a fire broke out in the Weber Workforce Center building on the Godfrey campus.
The fire, reported at 10:29 a.m. Tuesday, involved two acetylene tanks venting and multiple oxygen tanks. Fire departments from Godfrey, Alton, and Fosterburg responded to the scene.
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Authorities confirmed the fire was extinguished by 10:50 a.m., with no injuries reported and all individuals evacuated safely.
Officials advised the public to avoid the north side of the campus, where the incident occurred, as the area remains blocked off for safety reasons.
Updates are being posted on the college’s website.
According to Eric Cranmer, the Godfrey Fire Protection District chief, when they arrived, two acetylene tank regulators had burned off and were venting gas. He said fire crews worked to extinguish the fire coming from the tanks and to cool the surrounding oxygen tanks to prevent further hazards.
Lewis and Clark Community College posted at 11:02 a.m. that all welding classes are canceled until further notice due to the incident.
Cranmer said the Alton Fire Department had been released, but as of 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, the Godfrey crews were still in place.
Lewis and Clark Community College has issued a statement about the fire: "An individual was operating a grinder in the north bay on the east side of the building, when a spark caught the hose to an acetylene tank. Another individual at the scene grabbed a fire extinguisher to fight the flames. The instructor immediately evacuated students to a nearby building.
"Upon arrival, emergency crews ran a line in and threw a cooling stream on the fire, according to Godfrey Emergency Services Director Chris Sichra, who was already on campus for the college’s monthly tornado siren test when the incident occurred.
"Vice President of Academic Affairs Sue Czerwinski said all welding classes are canceled until further notice."
Early assessments indicate minimal damage at this time, said Lori Artis, Vice President of Strategic Engagement.
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