NATCHEZ — A mid-morning fire at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Natchez led to the evacuation of approximately 400 students and a handful of staff members.

However, students and staff were only kept from their normal routines for about an hour, said the school’s dean Teresa Harrison.

Natchez Fire Department chief Paul Johnson said the source of the fire was a grease vat located behind the cafeteria.

Johnson said the fire was quickly extinguished and caused little damage to the cafeteria’s loading dock.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Johnson theorized that a person smoking near the grease started the fire.

Several cigarette butts were on the ground near the grease container Johnson said.

In an effort to find the cause of the fire, Johnson reviewed security tapes from area.

But he said they did not show a cause for the fire.

Harrison said the area surrounding the scene of the fire is a no smoking zone.

In the past, the school has had very few problems with individuals smoking outside of assigned smoking areas, Harrison said.

“Right now it’s still under review,” she said.