Paws and… a fire

None injured in Ablah Library fire during Paws & Relax event

Wichita Fire Department responds to a fire in Ablah Library caused by an HVAC motor burn. The fire was contained quickly, and no injuries were reported.

Kass Lewis, News Editor • January 28, 2026

Officials evacuated Ablah Library Wednesday morning for a small electrical fire. No injuries were reported.

According to Wichita State Strategic Communications, an HVAC motor near the elevator shaft started to burn. Individuals in the library evacuated. The Wichita Fire Department controlled the burn and ventilated the building. Ablah was reopened by 10:45 a.m.

The evacuation came during the library’s Paws & Relax event, where the College of Health Professions Success Team brought therapy dogs to the library to interact with students. Syllabus Party was also being hosted at the same time in the library. The dogs and visitors were all safely evacuated.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect all events happening in Ablah Library at the time of the fire.

About the Contributors

Kass Lewis, News Editor

Kass Lewis is the news editor for The Sunflower. He is a junior studying journalism and media production and wants to go into news writing focused on politics. Lewis uses he/him pronouns.

Angellica Klingsick, Photographer

Angellica Klingsick is a second-year reporter and photographer for the Sunflower. She is a sophomore pursuing a career in missions photojournalism. For fun, she loves to go line dancing with her friends.