The USC Bookstore was evacuated Monday morning after students reported smelling smoke inside the building, which was suspected to have been caused by an electrical issue, according to the Department of Public Safety.
No fire was found, DPS said. The bookstore was declared safe and reopened at around 12:45 p.m., DPS said.
At approximately 11:35 a.m., Kierstin Hochstin, a junior majoring in English, noticed a faint smell of smoke while working on the first floor of the bookstore. Around 11:55 a.m., students and employees evacuated the building and gathered on the stairs outside.
DPS officers soon directed students away from the building and established a taped-off perimeter.
As the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived, the area between Wallis Annenberg Hall and the Ronald Tutor Campus Center was blocked off. The Los Angeles Police Department and USC Fire Safety and Emergency Planning also responded, according to DPS.
Once the scene was cleared, bookstore employees from the previous shift and those arriving for their noon shift were allowed to re-enter. The bookstore did not immediately reopen to the public, Hochstin said.
Edited by Zayane El Solh