Flames broke out in the Clyde Building Monday afternoon, causing alarm among some students and faculty. The building was evacuated and no injuries were reported.
The fire destroyed a programmable laser cutter, and appears to have started while students using the device left the room for a few minutes while the machine continued operation.
“The primary damage appears to be to the equipment itself,” BYU Police Lieutenant Arnold Lemmon said Monday afternoon.
The equipment had been in use for two years without incident. Monday’s fire caused the room to fill with smoke quickly, blackening two walls and damaging a ceiling tile.
The students using the machine took the initiative to put the fire out themselves with the aid of building fire extinguishers. None of the students suffered any injuries and clean-up crews and electricians arrived quickly to begin repairs and smoke remediation.
