A reported fire at a downtown Emporia building turned out to be connected to another issue altogether.
Emporia Fire had responded to a fire alarm at the Flint Hills Technical College’s Adult Education Center, 620 Constitution, shortly before 9 pm. Shortly after arriving, they noticed a light haze coming from one of the rooms inside. The fire alarm was then upgraded to a structure fire call.
After a short investigation, Emporia Fire Battalion Chief Bill Harmon says the cause of the haze was a currently-unspecified issue with a furnace. No fire was actually detected. The furnace was shut down until FHTC maintenance staff can take a closer look at it Monday.
