An electrical fire started in the George Pearl Hall architecture building late Wednesday night, setting off alarms and leading authorities to evacuate the building.
Albuquerque Fire Department battalion commander Victor Marquez said the small fire was started by defective wiring in the building, which created smoke in the basement.
The building suffered minimal damage, he said.
This marks the sixth fire in four months at UNM, as five fires have sprung up on Sigma Chi Road.
UNM Police suspect arsonists were behind the Sigma Chi fires, but Marquez said he doesn't believe Wednesday's fire is related.
The small fire created a stir on campus Wednesday night, as three fire trucks and an array of police cars and ambulances blocked off Redondo Drive. But after 45 minutes of investigating, Marquez said the trucks were sent away.
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"The smoke was dissipating pretty quickly, and we sent away some of the trucks after we couldn't find the cause of the fire," he said. "We went ahead and called some of the building architects to come and check it out, but, as of now, the building has little damage."
Student Jessica Blake said she was on the second floor of the building when the alarm went off.
"Everyone kind of grumbled to begin with, but by the time we got down the stairway and to the first floor, you could smell something that could be on fire - like electrical maybe," she said.
Judy Hansen, circulation supervisor for the Fine Arts and Design Library, said the smell was clear to her.
"We evacuated, locked the door and came downstairs," Hansen said. "As we came down the stairway, there was a smell of burning plastic or something. It definitely got stronger on the way down the stairs - even burning your eyes and making them water."
George Pearl Hall has been open for classes since spring 2008.
