Fire alarms inside Sacramento State’s Mariposa Hall forced a total evacuation Tuesday, which led to some worry about a repeat of Thursday’s fires.

The fire alarm went off shortly after 11 a.m., prompting the Sacramento Fire Department to bring engines to campus and investigate Mariposa Hall’s interior.

All students and faculty were evacuated from the building, and the University Police guarded the entrance as the firefighters conducted their search.

Nick Burnett, interim associate dean of the College of Arts and Letters, said the incident was likely a result of someone pulling one of the building’s fire alarms.

“It’s not necessarily a ‘prank’ thing,” Burnett said. “The Anderson (Group International) folks are cleaning out the ducts currently, and someone probably panicked when they saw or smelled the smoke from that.”

Outside, some of the evacuated students speculated about a recur of Thursday’s fire in Mariposa.

“I heard that there was a fire on the south end of the building,” one student said.

However, the fire department reported no threat of fires within the building.

“People are still a little jittery right now,” Burnett said.

Classes were let back in session at 11:45 a.m., once the firefighters cleared out.

 

Brett Johnson can be reached at [email protected]