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SALT LAKE CITY — A small electric scooter fire forced several classes in a University of Utah building to relocate Wednesday, officials said.
About 12:40 p.m., a student's personal scooter was parked in a hallway on the third floor of the James E. Talmage Building when it caught fire, according to a news release from the university.
About 140 people who were in the building at the time safely evacuated and the Salt Lake Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire, the release states.
Seven afternoon classes were moved, including math and chemistry classes.
The fire caused minor damage to some floor tiles, officials said. A cleanup company was clearing the smell of smoke from the building.
U. Fire Marshal Clint Haymond said the fire appeared to have been caused by the scooter's lithium ion battery system. It was not being charged when it caught fire, according to the release.
Officials said the building will be re-evaluated Thursday at 8 a.m. and asked students to check for updates about classroom locations on the university's website, attheu.utah.edu.
