Thursday's blaze in the Memorial Union wasn't the first time the building has caught fire in its 51-year history.
A grease fire ignited in the MU in either 1999 or 2000, said Leah Hardesty, an ASU spokeswoman. Hardesty wasn't sure the exact year the grease fire occurred.
Thursday's fire cleared as many as 5,000 people from the MU, according to fire and ASU officials.
Up to 20,000 people pass through the MU each day, Hardesty said.
The MU was first opened in 1956, at 109,000 square feet. The building served 6,000 students at that time, according to the ASU MU Web site.
After a number of renovation projects, the building was expanded to 254,000 square feet, according to Web site.
Services and facilities available in the MU include Sparky's Den, which offers a bowling alley, billiards tables and a video arcade, as well as a computer lab, work areas and meeting rooms.
ASU campus departments in the MU include the Adult Re-Entry Program, Campus Dining, Child and Family Services, the Learning Resource Center and the Safety Escort Service.
Reach the reporter at amanda.chan@asu.edu.
