Fire at University of New Mexico Library.

A fire in the basement of the University of New Mexico's Zimmerman Library destroyed 30,000 volumes of periodicals as well as furnishings, shelving, and fixtures in the path of the flames. An earlier flood in the underground science and engineering library had prompted the creation of a disaster plan and the formation of a recovery team. As a result, the library was prepared to handle a disaster of the magnitude of the fire. Damage estimates are put at $10–15 million not including the cost of staff time lost. Although the state fire marshal has acknowledged that the fire was deliberately started with an accelerant, he has not yet officially ruled the fire as arson. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]