The UC Davis Fire Department responded Saturday afternoon to a fire at the construction site for the new Graduate School of Management and Conference Center. The fire was reported about 3.05 p.m. and was extinguished by 4 p.m..

The fire appeared to have been deliberately set but caused little damage. A small area was affected by smoke and heat. The exact cause is under investigation.

The three-story, 40,000 square-foot building to house Graduate School of Management and a new university conference center broke ground in December, 2007 and is scheduled for completion in Fall 2009. The construction cost is $34.5 million. The new building is located opposite the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, just off Interstate 80.

Anyone with information about the possible cause of the fire should contact the UC Davis Police Department at (530) 752-1727.