A portion of Stevens Way was closed Thursday evening as more than 20 emergency vehicles responded to a fire in a lab in the chemistry building.

UW Police Department Officer Ellis, who declined to give his first name, arrived on scene shortly after the alarm sounded. He said the room had smoke in it but the sprinklers were on and no smoke was getting out.

No one was in the room during the fire, and there were no injuries.

Deputy Fire Chief Jim Fosse said the fire probably originated in a trash can, but it is hard to pinpoint the exact cause.

"We're glad when the sprinkler does what it is designed to do," he said. "It could have been a lot worse."