Two small electrical fires inside of the Talley Student Center caused an evacuation of students and employees Monday night.
Christopher McSwain , of University Student Centers was working when the incident happened.
“There was an electrical fire on the fourth floor,” McSwain said. “It happened and the Fire Department controlled it, and then it happened again.”
McSwain said that the damage from the two fires was small, and that no one was in danger, but the fire department did have to get rough when putting the fire out, which may have resulted in damages to the center.
Matt Slaughter, sophomore in mechanical engineering and University Student Centers employee, pulled the fire alarm after spotting the fire along with co-worker Drew Beadle.
Both explained that the fires were small, but evacuation was necessary and procedural.
“There was a small electrical fire at the top of the balcony on the fourth floor, then a small electrical fire on the south side of Talley,” Slaughter said.
Fire captain Chris Gibbons said that the fires were due to a common mishap among household fires.
“[The fire was due to] the light ballast, they burn out, age and get dusty,” Gibbons said.
Gibbons said that the problem was anything but uncommon, and could be fixed by a replacement.
“They burn out a lot,” Gibbons said. “I can’t tell you how many a year we go through.”
Talley remains in good condition, and construction will not be affected by the incident.