Morgan Hall evacuates after issue arises

Eden Conrad, Managing Editor – Indigo Magazine • February 27, 2025

Multiple fire engines wait in front of Morgan Hall. Firefighters went into the building and checked the oxygen levels in the air.

On Feb. 27, Washburn’s Morgan Hall was evacuated at 8:45 a.m., due to fire alarms being set off in the building.

Chris Herrera, Washburn University safety director, communicated that there were no issues with Morgan Hall’s safety systems and that the incident resolved itself.

“Somebody from facilities was working on some copper pipe. They were soldering copper pipe, [it] got too hot, too close to a detector and it activated the system in that room,” Herrera said.

Washburn students gather outside Morgan Hall, waiting to get back to class. Students were allowed back into the building after an hour had passed. (Eden Conrad)

This incident, however, proved to the community that Washburn’s safety plans work exactly how they are designed. According to Herrera, the systems in Morgan are designed to protect the computer equipment in the building.

Herrera noted that the fire safety systems in Morgan Hall work by displacing oxygen in the building with another gas. This lack of oxygen stops the fire from spreading but requires immediate evacuation of the building.

The building was then given the all-clear at 9:53 am via email to all students, faculty and staff, allowing for classes to resume.

Edited by Jeremy Ford and Morgan Albrecht

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About the Contributor

Eden Conrad, Managing Editor – Indigo Magazine

Hey there! My name’s Eden and I am a sophomore pursuing a degree in physics. I plan to minor in mass media and use the knowledge learned in Student Media to help design a magazine for a scientific publication. I love science, but I have recently discovered a love for journalism and spreading awareness for things that are important to me through both writing and design.