Did someone leave the Ion on?

Science students were left out in the cold today as the physics department caught fire. 

UPDATE from the Physics Department:

Although originally thought to have started on the roof, the fire actually originated in a plant room above lecture theatre B1.

Smoke was getting piped through the air-conditioning, which is why everyone in the building could smell smoke.  This then set off detectors throughout the building.

The fire brigade could not find the source of the smoke or fire.  So, they switched the detection system off and back on again.  What else do you do when technology goes loopy?

The alarm didn’t go off again, so they deemed the building safe and left.

Science students were left out in the cold today as the physics department caught fire. 

The building was evacuated and lectures were cancelled.

Some scientists were less worried about the fire and excited at the presumably rare opportunity to be outside:

Fire alarm in physics building. Love standing out in the rain #exciting

— Chris Brown (@brownsteiger92) October 14, 2013

Others however, were slightly less optimistic about the bracing Nottingham air:

Fire on the physics roof… Not ideal when it’s pissing with rain outside #fuckfires #coatsinside

— Lewis Cole (@Lewis_Cole) October 14, 2013

Great weather for the fire alarm in Physics to go off…

— Rachel Asquith (@RachelAsquith24) October 14, 2013

The building was emptied after students smelled smoke from the upper floors at around 11.10am, meaning those keen  students that had struggled in for morning starts had travelled in vain.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue said that:

“We sent one crew  just after 11:15. The fire was very small, caused by a faulty extractor valve, and was out by the time that we arrived.”

Nottingham’s finest arrived on the scene in a blaze of glory

Several lecturers were said to be left shocked by the incident which some are calling the most interesting thing to happen in physics  in years.

After another recent fire in Nottingham city centre, The Tab advises not going to any more lectures today or the rest of the week, just in case.