Burnt pizza crust causes emergency evacuation at Iowa Capitol

Another day, another emergency evacuation at the Iowa Capitol.

This time the culprit was smoke from burnt pizza crust, confirmed Mark Nicola, manager of the State Capitol cafeteria.

An alarm blared and the loud speaker system issued a warning around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, ordering everyone to immediately leave the Iowa Capitol building. Des Moines Fire Department crews responded in full firefighting gear, the incident was over quickly, but everyone was required to leave their offices, including House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, and Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, who were seen meeting and talking in the Rotunda.

This was another in a series of emergency alarms sounded at the Iowa Capitol stemming from minor incidents. Recently the building was evacuated after a cup of macaroni and cheese caught fire in a microwave oven outside the Iowa Senate chamber, and at least one alarm in the past resulted from burnt popcorn.

"This tells you that the fire alarm system works really well," said Capt. Mark Logsdon, head of the Iowa State Patrol unit that provides security at the Iowa Capitol. But he added, "Sometimes it works a little too good."

Nonetheless, Logsdon said it's good to have a sensitive fire alarm system in a building that routinely holds hundreds or even thousands of people.

The Iowa Senate was not holding floor debate or committee meetings on Tuesday, although the Iowa House had a brief floor session and some committee business. But dozens of lobbyists were in the building, along with groups of school children who were touring the Capitol.