One of the pillars covered with posters caught fire on the University of Minnesota east bank campus Monday night.
A University police officer responded to the incident outside of Vincent Hall around 7:40 p.m. and tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but was unsuccessful, according to the police report.
The Minneapolis Fire Department then arrived on the scene and put out the fire.
Animal science freshman Krista Alvord was leaving a chemistry review session in Smith Hall just before 8 p.m. when she said she smelled the smoke.