Early Monday afternoon students and faculty were evacuated from Patton Hall after smoke was detected in the elevator motor.
“The motor for elevator number two caught fire and burned itself up,” Geauthor Hayes of the Nashville Fire Department said.
According to an email from the Office of Communication, a belt began smoking in the elevator, which triggered the smoke alarms.
All residents in the building were evacuated for a short time, as well as the students in the basement levels that connect Patton to Potter.
“The fire was contained to the generator so there was really no danger,” said Hayes.
The Nashville Fire Department arrived within 10 minutes of the first alarm going off. After they took control of the situation and made sure there was no active fire, the firefighters brought in massive fans to reduce the smoke in the hallways, said Hayes.
“It all seemed pretty calm,” said sophomore Jacob Spalding, who had a class in the basement when the alarm went off.
It took 20 minutes for the fire department to take care of the situation and allow students back into the building.
“It can always malfunction, it’s just one of those things that happens,” said Hayes.