A fire on the roof of Science Theatres disrupted class late Tuesday afternoon.
Construction workers making repairs on the roof of Science Theatres were heating up a tar paper surface used to bond sections together to create a roof membrane — a standard re-roofing practice. The heat from the torch ignited a wood frame behind the membrane, said Campus Security director Lanny Fritz.
The smoke was then sucked in through a nearby air vent, prompting calls from individuals who said they smelled burning wood in the Science Theatres and Math Sciences buildings.
The buildings were evacuated when the fire alarm system was activated at 4:18 p.m. According to Fritz, occupants were allowed to return to the building at 6:30 p.m. after the Calgary Fire Department declared the buildings safe.
Campus Security provided a fire watch within the building until 10:30 p.m., at which time the alarm system was re-enabled. The delay in re-activating the fire alarm system resulted from the building fire panel being taken out of service, due to moisture build up from the water used to extinguish the fire.
Although both police and emergency ambulance services attended, there were no injuries and only minimal damage to the building.