Firefighters Extinguish Smoking PIllar at Library

officials extinguished a smoking pillar outside of the on Broad Street Friday after patrons and employees noticed smoke entering the building, according to Deputy Chief David Jones.

At about 11:40 a.m., dispatch received a call from the library stating that smoke had entered the building, Jones said, although it was not enough to set off the smoke detectors. When firefighters arrived, they noticed smoke coming out of one of the pillars in front of the building.

"We think that somebody dropped a cigarette," Jones said, although officials didn't find any physical evidence. "And that's old wood. It was smoldering inside of the column, so we had to open [the pillar] up and get rid of the burnt wood."

By the time firefighters arrived, the building was in the process of being evacuated as a safety precaution. By 11:55 a.m., patorns and employees were being permitted to re-enter the building. Jones said that the city's fire marshal will further inspect the pillar to ensure its stability.