ORLANDO, Fla. --
Part of a University of Central Florida dormitory was evacuated Sunday night after an explosion filled the building with smoke.
| Video: Small Explosion Shakes UCF Dormitory |
University police received reports of the blast just before midnight Sunday.
"It smelled like somebody was trying to make their own medication," a student said.
The students got an unusual wake-up call when a small explosion prompted an evacuation of the dormitory on the main campus.
Orange County firefighters said they evacuated one floor of Hercules building 109 after the blast.
"Some RAs were coming to our doors and knocking on them and making us come out of the building," another student said.
UCF police said they saw smoke coming from underneath a door. The dorms resident, 19-year-old Wendel McKee, was charged with manufacturing a controlled substance, sale and delivery of a controlled substance and first-degree arson. Police said the student was trying to make drugs inside his dorm room using Adderall.
There was a hot plate involved and a humidifier and some adderall, so what he was trying to do, were not sure, but it didnt work, Jeannette Emert of UCF police said.
Adderall is a drug used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Everyone started coming out of the building and the cops came and the fire department came. It was pretty intense, student Aaron Avene said. "I know him. We've told him that people were looking for him and stuff, so we went to the room. It's kind of funny. He held the door open for the cop who arrested him.
A UCF student said McKee has ADHD and the Aderrall was prescribed to him, but he was trying to add acid to make it stronger.
McKee was taken into custody. The students were later allowed to return to their rooms. There were no major injuries reported. One person was treated for minor smoke inhalation.
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