Authorities identify cause behind UVM engineering building evacuation

A University of Vermont engineering building was evacuated Wednesday afternoon following reports of a gas leak. 

There were no reports of injuries in the incident at Votey Hall, UVM spokesman Enrique Corredera wrote in an email at 4 p.m.

"The Burlington Fire Department is on scene investigating," he wrote. "We are asking people to please stay clear of the area. An 'All Clear' message will be sent once the building returns to normal operations."

About two hours later, UVM sent an alert identifying the culprit as a malfunctioning boiler. Votey Hall was set to be closed through the night "as a precaution," the university said.

Votey Hall is home to the College of Engineering and Mathematics and was built in 1962, according to UVM.

The building is directly east of the Billings Student Center on the historic green portion of UVM's campus.

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