Hot and Steamy Times in the Science Lab Building

Friday afternoon one of the autoclaves in the building released a larger than normal cloud of steam. Kind of like a mechanical fart. This set off the fire alarm, sending the occupants out into the chilly wind. Meanwhile inside the building, the HVAC shut down as it is supposed to when the alarm is activated. Although most of the sophisticated system reactivates when the alarm is shut off, the "make-up air" does not. This results in numerous odors accumulating in the building resulting in an aroma not unlike ass. This makes sense as vapors/fumes from the can, drains, etc are part of the intoxicating environment. After a couple of calls, the HVAC was working properly and the building smelled like a building and not a forest service outhouse. The moral of the story is: Don't fart in an enclosed space.