Fire alarms set off in Sac State Library during Club Days event

Keyshawn Davis

Sacramento Fire Department stands outside the Sac State Library with Community Service officers and staff members after the library was suddenly evacuated Wednesday, Feb. 9. The fire department arrived on the scene quickly and gave the all clear after just a few minutes for students and staff to return to the building.

Zachary Cimaglio, Keyshawn Davis, and Kris Hall
February 9, 2022

Fire alarms went off in the Sac State Library this afternoon, followed by the Sacramento Fire Department arriving to assess the situation.

Students and faculty were reportedly evacuated from the library as the fire alarm blared, and library staff dressed in bright orange safety vests escorted them out toward the quad.

The fire department gave the all-clear before long, and the situation was resolved quickly, leading some to believe it was simply a false alarm.

BREAKING: The Sac State Library has been evacuated. Sacramento Fire Department is on scene now. pic.twitter.com/CRsDcgmpXx

— The State Hornet (@TheStateHornet) February 9, 2022

Rachael Davis, the Department head of the Sac State Library, said that the fire alarms are very sensitive, and even the slightest amount of smoke can set them off.

“Their sensors are sensitive and any type of smoke could sound the alarm, even if someone was vaping,” Davis said. “The important thing is that they got the all-clear from the fire department.”

The lack of information about the situation, combined with the fact that it was resolved so quickly, led to some speculation about the cause for the alarm.

Nate Barbre, an economics major, was tabling for the Student Economics Association when the alarms went off and the students began pouring out of the building.

“When I used to work in the dorms it was not uncommon for students to be smoking in the bathrooms or in places they shouldn’t be, which could have caused the fire alarms to go off,” Barbre said.

The men’s bathroom on the third floor of the library was reportedly propped open, but it cannot be confirmed at this time whether or not that was the source of the smoke that caused the fire alarm to go off.

At the current time, we cannot confirm the cause of the alarm, and we will update the story with more information as the situation develops.

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About the Writers

Zachary Cimaglio, copy editor

Zachary Cimaglio is the copy editor of The State Hornet. He joined The State Hornet in fall 2021, making this his inaugural semester as a reporter. Zachary was formerly a history major before demoting it to a minor in favor of journalism, and he hopes to become a full-time writer and reporter in the near future.

Keyshawn Davis, managing editor

Keyshawn Davis is the managing editor for The State Hornet. He is minoring in film and majoring in journalism. Davis is a freelance writer, published in Comstock’s Magazine, Sacramento Magazine, The Record in Stockton, The Sacramento Observer and Sacramento News & Review. Davis was also the previous diversity, equity and inclusion editor for The State Hornet and former sports editor for Sacramento City College campus news-site, The Express.

Kris Hall, multimedia editor

(he/they)

Kris continues as multimedia editor of The State Hornet for his second semester. Kris is also a former opinion editor of The State Hornet, and of Fresno City College's Rampage. Kris is a political science and journalism major and expects to graduate in fall 2023.