The Cargo Coffee Co. kiosk outside King Hall burned to the ground around 6 a.m. today (April 30) in a fire that investigators said was suspicious in origin.

There were no injuries to firefighters or others, said Assistant Fire Chief Wes Arvin, adding that the fire struck before employees had arrived for the day. The coffee kiosk, one of three Cargo Coffee huts on campus, had been scheduled to open at 7:30 a.m.

The UC Davis Fire Department is leading an investigation with assistance from a Yolo County arson team, which includes a dog trained to sniff out accelerants. As is normal procedure, the campus Police Department also is involved in the investigation, Arvin said.

The first report of the fire came in 5:58 a.m. by telephone from a groundskeeper.

“It was pretty much fully involved when we got here,” Arvin said. The fire set off a smoke alarm in the King Hall School of Law.

The campus Fire Department sent one engine; the city of Davis sent an engine and a rescue unit.

Christian and Diana Tribble own and operate the Cargo Coffee huts through a lease with Sodexo, the campus food service provider. The other two Cargo Coffee kiosks are between Olson and Sproul halls, and between Engineering III and Academic Surge.

Arvin said Christian Tribble estimated a $30,000 loss in the fire at the King Hall kiosk, counting the structure and contents. Diana Tribble told a university representative that she and her husband planned to rebuild.

The kiosk did a brisk morning business, particularly among King Hall's law students, some of whom, as it happened, started their spring semester finals today.

In response to the fire, the School of Law dean's office arranged with Davis' Common Grounds coffeehouse to provide catered coffee service today and all through finals. A spokeswoman for the School of Law said the school also will provide other refreshments occasionally.