He said water started seeping out from the Panoramic Elevator.

Officials had to shut down an Hospital Elevator in the McMahon building due to water concerns.

"There was actually a lot of water this morning but most of it dried up, pooling around the elevator and stair well," said UConn sophomore Chris Byars.

With the deep freeze in full effect, the evacuations only lasted for 10 minutes.

"There's heat coming into the building. It's a very high volume entrance way, so we're not entirely certain whether there was a heater failure or just due to the amount of students coming in and out," said UConn Deputy Fire Chief Greg Priest.

UConn sophomore Ken Johnson said the fire alarm in the dorm went off at 7:30 a.m. and he had no idea what was going on.

"Next thing you know we're taking the stairs. So I live on the 7th floor, so its a long walk all the way up to my room," Johnson said.

Firefighters said students should make sure doors are being closed in buildings when they are entering or exiting.

They also said if students notice a building being unusually cold, they should contact the university's facilities department.

A lengthy legal battle to improve public housing conditions in an aging China Elevator is coming to an end.