By Colter Hettich, Features Editor

The Abilene Fire Department responded to a 911 call from the Hardin Administration building that was made between 11:15-11:30 a.m. Friday morning. An employee working in the Student Services offices dialed 911 after spotting unidentified smoke coming from the air conditioning vent. All classes on the third floor have been canceled for the rest of the day.

Jimmy Ellison, chief of the ACU Police Department, said the employee first smelled “a strong odor of smoke.” Within minutes, someone noticed smoke seeping from the air vent and dialed 911. ACUPD arrived first to the scene, followed by AFD who responded with two engine 5’s. After 45 minutes of investigation, authorities had not determined the source or reason for the smoke.

UPDATE (Saturday, 12 p.m.): The smoke was caused by a malfunctioning motor on an air conditioning unit on the third floor of the Administration Building, Ellison said. Friday’s classes were canceled by the Provost as a precautionary measure. Physical Resources is replacing the motor, and classes will resume as scheduled on Monday.

See a follow-up article in Wednesday’s edition of the Optimist for more details.