Mt. Sierra College Fire Causes $15,000 in Damage

The fire that broke out in an air conditioning unit at Monday night and caused an estimated $15,000 in damage, a fire official said Wednesday.

The instructor of a digital publishing class pulled the fire alarm shortly after 10 p.m. Monday when he smelled smoke and then ushered his students to safety as firefighters investigated.

Monrovia Fire Department Division Chief Ryan Phillips said in an email Wednesday that the fire started in a rooftop air conditioning unit.

"The unit burned significantly and extended to the roof area," he wrote.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, but not before it caused $15,000 in damage to the roof and air conditioning unit, Phillips said.