At about 4 p.m. Wednesday a small oven in a basement lab of the Chemistry Building exploded, setting off the fire alarm. No one was in the room at the time and no one was injured. The East Lansing Fire Department and MSU police responded to the call.

About $600 worth of damage was done to the oven, associate chemistry Professor Robert LaDuca said, along with a mercury thermometer that burst because of the explosion. The Office of Radiation, Chemical & Biological Safety will be monitoring the mercury levels in the room, but LaDuca said the lab will be back in use by the end of the week.

According to LaDuca, the lab was being used for an undergraduate research experiment. A pressurized glass tube holding water, various chemicals and organic compounds was heated for several hours in the oven. The heat built up too much pressure for the glass, causing a minor explosion, LaDuca said.