Fire alarm prompts brief evacuation at San Jose Airport Terminal B

MINETA SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- Passengers and employees in Terminal B at Mineta San Jose International Airport were briefly evacuated this morning due to a fire alarm that sounded with no fire present, an airport spokeswoman said.

At about 10:05 a.m. today, fire alarms were activated in Terminal B, which includes Alaska and Southwest Airlines and SJC's administrative offices, airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes said.

Airport operations staff responded to the scene and the San Jose Fire Department made it to the area at 10:10 a.m. to investigate, Barnes said.

An investigation determined that the alarm was tripped off due to a failed component in a fire pump system that supplies water to the fire suppression system at the terminal, Barnes said.

The Fire Department reported the area clear at 10:15 a.m. and people were permitted to return to the terminal.

The airport's on-duty manager reported that the incident had a "minimal" impact on flight operations, but passengers in Terminal B had to be screened again through airport security, Barnes said.