Campus Alert Archive
TAMUK

A 3:28 a.m. Fire Guts the West Wing of the Javelinas' Student Union

TXfireemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

A fire broke out on the second floor of the Memorial Student Union Building at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, before dawn on May 25, 2025. The fire started around 3:28 a.m. CDT and took crews from six fire agencies about three hours to fully extinguish. No injuries were reported, but the blaze caused heavy smoke and water damage to the building's west wing and displaced more than 60 employees.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Public R2 · TX
~5,500 studentsJavelinaAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction128 chars
JavelinaAlert: Fire reported at the Memorial Student Union Building. Avoid the area while fire crews respond. Updates to follow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed wording; the web environment 403-blocks TAMUK's campus-notifications archive, so the exact alert text could not be confirmed verbatim.
The fire began at roughly 3:28 a.m. when the campus was largely empty, which helps explain why no injuries were reported despite heavy damage to the west wing.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction238 chars
JavelinaAlert Update: The fire at the Memorial Student Union Building has been extinguished. There are no reported injuries. The building is closed until further notice due to smoke and water damage. Affected operations will be relocated.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed update; this message is an update rather than an all-clear because it confirms the fire is out but keeps the building closed, matching reporting that the MSUB shut down for repairs.
Six fire agencies responded, including Kingsville FD, Kingsville Volunteer FD, Naval Air Station Kingsville Fire & Emergency Services, Kleberg County FD, Annaville FD and E.S.D. 3.
Context

Background

Texas A&M University-Kingsville is a Hispanic-Serving Institution in South Texas and the home of the Javelinas. Before dawn on May 25, 2025, a fire broke out on the second floor of its Memorial Student Union Building, with the blaze reported at about 3:28 a.m. CDT. Kingsville Fire Chief J.J. Adame said multiple agencies responded around 3:45 a.m. and worked roughly three hours to fully extinguish the fire, which was concentrated in the building's west wing and produced extensive smoke and water damage. No injuries were reported. The fire displaced more than 60 employees and later disrupted student transcript services, and staff rallied to relocate affected operations. Fires are among the most common Clery emergency-notification triggers at residential and student-life buildings, and a pre-dawn timeline like this one is a key factor in why no one was hurt.
Analysis

Key Findings

A pre-dawn fire heavily damaged the west wing of TAMUK's Memorial Student Union Building on May 25, 2025, with no injuries
Six fire agencies took about three hours to extinguish the blaze that began around 3:28 a.m. CDT
The fire displaced more than 60 employees and disrupted student transcript services, showing how a single building fire cascades into operational impacts at a smaller HSI
Outcome
No injuries. The Memorial Student Union Building was closed for repairs, displacing more than 60 employees, and the fire later caused issues with student transcript services.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Early morning fire damages Texas A&M University - Kingsville student union, no injuries reported - KIII-TV
    kiiitv.com
  2. News
    TAMU-Kingsville staff rally after fire damages Memorial Student Union building - KIII-TV
    kiiitv.com
  3. News
    Student Union Building at TAMU-Kingsville closed after fire - KRIS-TV
    kristv.com
  4. News
    A&M-Kingsville fire also causes issues with student transcripts - KIII-TV
    kiiitv.com
Tags
firetexashsistudent-unionemergency-notificationkingsvilleno-injuries
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion