Fire alarm cuts Iowa Romney forum short
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney‘s forum meeting in Des Moines was cut short Friday after a fire alarm went off in the Iowa State Historical Building, forcing an evacuation.
Romney was in Des Moines Friday to answer questions posed through a forum hosted by iowapolitics.com and the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Though giving heavy indications he will enter the political race next week, Romney all but confirmed his candidacy. But while he said he would be a familiar face in Iowa throughout the rest of year, he did not confirm if he will attend the GOP Ames Straw Poll, or the February 2012 Iowa caucus.
During a question and answer session, a fire alarm went off throughout the building. The former governor evacuated with supporters and members of thee media, continuing to sign autographs and pose for photos for several minutes before climbing in a light-colored SUV headed for Cedar Rapids, where Romney has scheduled appearances Friday evening.
The cause of the alarm was not immediately known, though a Romney spokeswoman was heard indicating a bag of popcorn burned in a microwave.
