The Columbian | Serving Clark County, Washington

A bathroom fan emitting smoke triggered a fire alarm Tuesday morning and initiated a system that shut down the breaker panels at the Clark County Vocational Skills Center, prompting an evacuation.

The four building compound was evacuated when firefighters arrived, said Jim Flaherty, Vancouver Fire Department firefighter-spokesman. Firefighters were dispatched at about 8 a.m.

The “shut trip system,” which locked gas lines, is a safety mechanism in place to help control an active fire.

“All the systems worked perfectly,” Flaherty said. “The campus was evacuated and there was access. It couldn’t have worked any better.”

It took about 15 minutes for firefighters to determine the source of the smoke that triggered the center’s emergency systems. Flaherty said they could smell burning wires.

The bathroom is in the 200 building, where there is a restaurant and administrative offices.

Damage was minimal and school operations returned to normal.

The skills center is at 12200 N.E. 28th St.

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