Smoke may have set off fire alarm

Sunday night's evacuation of the 10th floor residents of Twin Towers East for a fire alarm may have been caused by smoke from cigarette ashes being dumped into a trash can, said James Coleman, Twin Towers East resident director.

"It was never actually affirmed that it was a smoke bomb [as some students had reported]," Coleman said. "There was no evidence of a smoke bomb."

Coleman said he went with up to the 10th floor with Marshall University Police Department officers to investigate the alarm.

"We did not find any of the little caps [if there had been a smoke bomb]... We just aired out that corner of the building, took a couple of minutes and then the students returned to their normal activities."

Coleman said a variety of things could have made the alarm go off.

MUPD did not write a report of the incident because it is not the department's policy to write a report unless there is an actual fire.

Coleman said smoking in a room would not set off the alarms located in the hall.

"Anytime the alarms go off, all the students in the whole building must leave for their safety," Coleman said.