What looked like a fire in the Loyd Star Attendance Center tech prep building Friday night turned out to be a false alarm.

White, billowing smoke was the result of steam escaping from the school’s ventilation system. Normally, the heating system is shut off at the school for the night.

“Someone accidentally left the heaters on. From a distance the escaping steam must have looked like a fire. Thankfully, it was a false alarm,” said Assistant Principal and Sports Administrator Billy Vaughn Saturday.

A concerned passerby noticed the smoke and called the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. Upon responding to the call, the Loyd Star Volunteer Fire Department realized it was a false alarm and other fire departments were then called off, said Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office dispatch.