The University of Maine’s library was evacuated Sunday when campus police pulled the fire alarm after smelling burning caused by a broken light fixture, an official said.
Orono Fire Department received a call around noon when the fire alarm at Raymond Fogler Library was tripped, Capt. Aaron Jellison said.
The smell came from the ballast of a fluorescent light on floor 1B that had likely worn out, he said. The ballast converts voltage and amperage to the correct level, he said.
There was no smoke or fire, and firefighters disconnected the light from the power.
The library reopened soon after, according to Eric Gordon, a UMaine spokesperson.


