WFR Responds to Smoke Report at Lake Area Tech
- Steve Jurrens
- Apr 14
- 1 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Watertown Fire Rescue (WFR) was dispatched to Lake Area Technical College (LATC) on Tuesday afternoon following reports of smoke inside the facility.
The call came in at 2:00 PM on April 14, 2026, regarding a smoke odor in a classroom. Upon arrival at the campus, emergency crews were directed to the 100 Building.
Responding firefighters identified the following conditions:
· A light haze was present near the affected area.
· A noticeable smoke odor was detected around one specific classroom.
After conducting an investigation, crews determined that the most likely source of the smoke was a rooftop air handling unit. To isolate and resolve the issue, fire personnel shut down several rooftop units.
Fire crews remained on the scene for approximately one and a half hours to assess the situation and ensure the building was safe.
Once the system was reset and conditions returned to normal, LATC administrators issued an all-clear. Students and staff were subsequently allowed to return to the 100 Building to resume their activities safely.
