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Fire officials investigate smoke at UT dorm
UPDATE 7:10 A.M.: Austin fire officials say the nearby intersection at 21st Street and Speedway are now reopened and free of Austin Fire Department vehicles.
EARLIER: A University of Texas dormitory was evacuated early this morning after Austin Fire officials received a call about smoke coming out of a freezer unit there, an fire official said Monday.
Fire emergency personnel were paged to the scene sometime around 6:30 a.m. after receiving a 911 call about smoke coming out of a walk-in freezer in the basement of Jester Dormitory at 203 East 21st Street, said Austin Fire Department spokesman Andre De La Reza.
De La Reza said a worker opened the walk-in freezer this morning and shut it after seeing smoke coming out of it. De La Reza said it may be a freon leak.
As a precaution, workers and residents there were evacuated as fire officials investigated, De La Reza said. However, fire officials say they would be let in shortly, De La Reza said.
Not as many students as usual are staying at Jester this time of year with the Spring semester complete. However, some students still stay there at this time of year for summer or visiting programs, De La Reza said.
