An air filter inside the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center triggered a fire alarm Wednesday evening, prompting a campuswide alert to be sent out.
Brookings Fire Chief Troy Hughes said a spark flew into an air handler inside the scene shop while metal was being cut with a chop saw.
“We tell people one spark can start a fire, and today it did,” Hughes said.
A report of smoke in the structure was issued at 5:01 p.m., indicating that staff had evacuated the center and that the HVAC system was the suspected source. The scene was cleared by 5:24 p.m.
