On Monday late morning this week, 18-year-old Brooklyn Baez was evacuated from her class at Aloha Tower Marketplace (ATM) following a small fire.
She describes to Kalamalama how the incident began with the lights suddenly going out in her classroom. Five minutes later, the lights came back on, before they heard a rumbling noise from the vent in the ceiling, she recalls.
Shortly after, the fire alarm sounded, prompting the evacuation of everyone present. “We all got our stuff and left”, Baez explains.
Not Dramatic
According to the university, the fire originated from an elevator engine that caught on fire and burned out. Several engines responded, and all residents and students at ATM was evacuated as a precaution.
Baez mentioned that she saw both fire trucks and police cars arriving at the scene. Despite the commotion, the university confirmed that the situation was under control and not as dramatic as it may have appeared.
Smelled the Smoke
During the evacuation, Baez says that she smelled the smoke near The Old Spaghetti Factory.
Students and staff waited outside in the rain for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before they could go back inside.
