A small fire prompted the evacuation of the Humanities building late Thursday morning.

According to Lt. Ed Ghilardi of the San Francisco Fire Department, the incident occurred as a result of someone setting a pile of paper on fire on the second floor, in the vicinity of room 217.

He did not disclose whether or not SFFD knew the identity of the person who lit the pile on fire.

Outside, there were rumors among the gathered crowd that the fire was started by students in a speech performance class held on the second floor, but SFFD have said, as far as they knew, the act had nothing to do with the students.

Alarms sounded around 10:45 a.m. and the entire building was evacuated until the all clear was given approximately 15 minutes later.

Four fire engines arrived behind the building on Tapia Drive. One firefighter checked the top of the roof as several others entered the building.

Mark Spinrad, an English composition teacher, was in the middle of class on the fifth floor when the alarm sounded. He said he could smell “burning paper.”

“As I walked down the north stairs, the smell became stronger,” nearing the second floor, Spinrad said.

SFFD Temp. Lt. David Chavez said that there were initial reports of “heavy smoke” emanating from the second floor, but that those reports were wrong.