Campus Alert Archive
UNM

10:50 AM LoboAlert: Lithium-Ion Skateboard Battery Forces Mitchell Hall Evacuation, Fumigation

NMfireemergency notificationhigh confidence

At approximately 10:50 AM MST on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 — about 10 minutes after students had already begun self-evacuating — the University of New Mexico's LoboAlert system pushed an emergency notification reporting police and fire activity at Mitchell Hall caused by a small fire from a lithium-ion electric skateboard battery. Albuquerque Fire Rescue contained the blaze quickly, but the toxic battery off-gassing required Mitchell Hall — UNM's largest classroom building — to be cleaned and fumigated, canceling all classes until at least 1 PM and forcing closures into Thursday, November 7.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
University of New Mexico
Public R1 · NM
~22,000 studentsLoboAlerts
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Verified verbatimVerbatim text published in the UNM Newsroom Lobo Alert 11.6.2024 archive entry203 chars
Lobo Alert: Police and fire department activity at Mitchell Hall due to a small fire from an electric skateboard that was removed from the building. Fire Department and UNMPD are evacuating the building.
Sent approximately 10 minutes after students had already self-evacuated — the Daily Lobo specifically notes the alert came 'after students had begun evacuating,' a recurring critique of LoboAlerts timing that students raised in spring 2024
The unusually specific phrase 'small fire from an electric skateboard' is a LoboAlert hallmark — UNM tends to describe the actual hazard source rather than use generic 'fire emergency' language, which helps students assess severity
The mention that the skateboard 'was removed from the building' before the alert was sent is rare — it tells recipients the immediate hazard is already contained, but the evacuation continues for residual smoke
Context

Background

At approximately 10:40 AM MST on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, a student's lithium-ion electric skateboard battery caught fire inside Mitchell Hall — UNM's largest classroom building, used by introductory-level humanities courses serving thousands of students daily. Students began self-evacuating before the formal alert was issued. At 10:50 AM, the LoboAlert system pushed the notification: "Police and fire department activity at Mitchell Hall due to a small fire from an electric skateboard that was removed from the building." Albuquerque Fire Rescue contained the blaze quickly, but the lithium-ion battery off-gassing required Mitchell Hall to be cleaned and fumigated — all classes were canceled in the building until at least 1 PM that day, with some sections displaced into Thursday, November 7. This was the second 2024 incident in which UNM's LoboAlert system was criticized as delayed; an earlier critique appeared in The Daily Lobo (humorous in tone, but reflecting an underlying frustration that hit reality on November 6). UNM is the only R1 Hispanic-Serving Institution in New Mexico; Mitchell Hall sits at the core of the campus's main academic quad.
Analysis

Key Findings

The lithium-ion-battery-fire trigger is increasingly common on US campuses — e-skateboards, e-bikes, and e-scooters have driven a meaningful uptick in campus fire alerts since 2022, particularly at urban universities where micromobility devices are stored in classrooms
UNM's specific naming of 'an electric skateboard' rather than generic 'fire' language is a model for clarity — students reading the alert can immediately assess whether the hazard affects them (e.g., evacuation vs. shelter)
The 10-minute gap between students self-evacuating and the formal LoboAlert reflects a recurring UNM-specific issue with alert timing — students at large universities often respond to visual cues faster than the alert chain can authenticate and push
Outcome
Fire contained quickly by Albuquerque Fire Rescue; the skateboard was removed from the building. No injuries reported. All Mitchell Hall classes were canceled for the day; some sections remained displaced into November 7 due to lithium-ion battery off-gassing residue requiring HVAC cleaning and building fumigation. The skateboard's owner was not publicly identified.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Lobo Alert – 11.6.2024 (UNM UCAM Newsroom official advisory)
    news.unm.edu
  2. Student Paper
    Students evacuate from Mitchell Hall after skateboard catches on fire (The Daily Lobo)
    dailylobo.com
  3. Official
    LoboAlerts Emergency Messaging (UNM official)
    loboalerts.unm.edu
Tags
firelithium-ion-batteryelectric-skateboardhispanic-serving-institutionhsinew-mexicoalbuquerquemitchell-hallevacuationlobo-alertmicromobility
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion