Before the Knoxville Fire Department arrived, Kyle Owens leaped into action to save his classmates. Sirens wailed toward Ayres Hall Friday at approximately 1 p.m. after fire alarms in the building were triggered. Police investigations revealed a fire had been sparked by lit cigarette butts left in the trashcan. 

Owens successfully contained the fire in room 114. The room sustained minor smoke damage. Students were able to return back to their classes in an hour after Lawrence, Knoxville fireman, declared the place safe. 

Personal interviews with the individual students in Math 130 pinpointed the culprit to two students who had been sharing a pack of Marlboros.

"Sandy Martin and her boyfriend Alex Jones will be going in front of judicial affairs for smoking inside a university building and reckless endangerment of their fellow classmates," Stephen Meyer, dean of math department, said.

In my panic I had left my cell phone in the classroom. It would have been tragic if my new iPhone was destroyed Linda Johnson, Math 130 studentMike Stanley, Owens' classmate, described Owen taking notes and then suddenly sniffing the air in the room suspiciously. 

"I thought he'd gone mad," Stanley said. Owens who was born with asthma is very sensitive to smoke. 

"My lungs started itching and I knew something was wrong," Owens said. Owens kept looking around the room until he found the source of his discomfort. When he spotted the students in the back row smoking, he raised his hand to get the attention of their teacher, Richard Newton. 

Moments after raising his hand, the flames were licking the heels of the students as they rain pell-mell toward the closest exit. The overflowing trashcan fueled the fire to dangerous levels as Owens directed his classmates to safety and then returning to put out the fire, despite his asthma.   

The fire quickly spread from the trashcan to students desks as the Math 130 students fled the room in a panic. Owens smothered the fire with his ROTC jacket and, with the help of the KFD, put out the fire within 30 minutes. 

Owens was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation but was released later Friday evening. 

Jackie Stewart, an undecided senior, was in the adjacent classroom to 114 when the fire alarms were triggered. 

"It is always so hot in Ayres that no one really noticed the building was on fire. Then we heard the alarm go off and thought it was a drill. Our teacher said to disregard it until we finished our test," Stewart said. 

Once the students had cleared the building, Linda Johnson ran back in. 

"In my panic I had left my cell phone in the classroom. It would have been tragic if my new iPhone was destroyed," Johnson said.

Newton said, "We could all use more day-to-day heroes like Kyle." The University of Tennessee Police Department are planning to award Owens with an honorary medal for his heroic action. They also plan to hold seminars on proper conduct during an emergency like a fire.  

"We don't want another repeat of what Miss Johnson did. That is a dangerous attitude to have," Lawrence said. 

Disclaimer: HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY! The content of this story was completely fabricated. None of the people exist. Anyone with a similar name is completely coincidence. There was no political motive behind this article, short of playing a prank.