Caroline Rareshide/The Hoya
Smoke rose to the windows of the third floor of Lauinger Library.
A fire broke out in an exterior vent next to the first floor of Lauinger Library at approximately 1:35 p.m. Jan. 29.
The fire alarms forced students to evacuate the area, closing the immediate area around the northeast corner of Lauinger. The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (DCFD) responded minutes later and extinguished the fire by 1:48 p.m.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The vent lines the wall of the Maker Hub, a craft room on the first floor that holds equipment, including 3-D printers and a laser cutter. The outdoor spot is also a popular location for smoke breaks.
Smoke rose from the vent at the bottom of the first floor to the bottom of the third-floor windows, but no fire was visible.
John Leonard, the fire marshal at Georgetown University, told students gathered near Lau to clear the stairs at 37th and N Streets. Leonard then announced to students once the fire was extinguished that the stairs were reopened and the fire alarm in the building would soon stop.
The university did not send a HoyaAlert, an emergency message to Georgetown community members.
This is a developing story.