Grease that entered air ducts Wednesday in the Student Center led to an evacuation of the building at approximately 10 a.m. after someone reported smoke coming from the roof, according to Lt. Dennis Carlisle of the Auburn Fire Department.
Students remained outside the building until approximately 10:25 a.m. when the building was reopened.
Steve Lloyd, maintenance superintendent for housing, said the problem seems to have originated at Nathan's Famous on the second floor.
"They have an exhaust hood up there," Lloyd said. "The exhaust goes up, and it blows out the side of the building at the roof. What I am understanding is somebody saw smoke and supposedly flames coming out the building."
Lloyd said facilities department would be using the services of an engineer to determine whether the exhaust hood at Nathan's is adequate.
"They're saying that the hood where the exhaust (comes) out of the building on the outside that there's a lot of grease built up out there from where it condenses when it hits the cold air," Lloyd said.
Nathan's will be closed for the remainder of the week.
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