one step closer to lifting fire code restrictions at the pit. kob eyewitness news four was there today as the fire marshal inspected one key part of the fire system. kayla anderson is here to show us what happened. right now the unm pit is still under fire code restrictions. the fire marshal isn't leaving any room for error... making sure today that an essential fire protection system is up and running. fire code restrictions at the pit have put a bit of a damper on the season. major restrictions on the main concourse mean even vendors can't run small booths-- selling things like t- shirts. that's because a key part of the fire system-- the smoke evacuation system-- hasn't gotten the seal of approval from the fire marshal. "it's frustrating, it's been minute thumbnail 05:16 pm longer than a lot of folks anticipated." as of last week, the system still wasn't operating properly... because doors weren't opening automatically. we've learned the system is essential for fire safety. "the smoke evac system is sort of a compromise between unm and the fire marshal's office. that's because the room over the pit can't sustain the wait of a sprinkler system. so to make up for that, the smoke evac system automatically opens all the doors around the pit, bringing in fresh air, so fans can safely evacuate in the event of a fire."
