Residents in the eighth through 10th floors of the Calhoun Lofts building were evacuated Tuesday after a heating and air conditioning system burned out on the ninth floor, a UH fire marshal said.
Second year law student Kristen Young informed The Daily Cougar of the incident via e-mail and estimated that about 10 emergency trucks were at the scene, including three fire trucks by 7 p.m.
UH arson investigator William Courtney said the motor and power of the heating and air conditioning system was shut down and will be replaced.
Maintenance was on-site working to fix the problem, and the motor will later be thoroughly checked, Courtney said.
English literature senior Brittany Stuhlmiller was driving up to the lofts when she noticed the emergency vehicles blocking the street.
Stuhlmiller said that when she pulled up, she could not tell what was happening.
“I don’t really know what they were doing,” she said. “Apparently, there was a fire alarm. I talked to one of the firemen; he said as he was walking by, jokingly, ‘The fire is out; you can go back in.’ But I don’t think there was a fire.”
Biology junior Izabel Hlayhel said nobody was telling residents what was going on. While outside, residents speculated on the reason for the evacuation.
“The police officer told me that it was an electrical problem, so if I knew anyone in the building, I should call them to evacuate ’cause it’s no joke,’” Hlayhel said. “When I walked over to the side of the building, students told me it was just a drill and that the firemen were saying that. So there are two different stories going on.”
