An outlet used for a window air conditioner was to blame for a small fire in one of the rooms at Apple Lane Child Care early Wednesday afternoon.

Austin Fire Department was dispatched to the child care, in the 2000 block of First Avenue Northwest a little after 1 p.m. to a call of smoke coming from the building.

Kids and teachers had been evacuated by the time firefighters reached the scene.

“What a wonderful job these students and staff did in evacuating the building,” Fire Chief Dan Wilson said.

Wilson said the fire started in an older outlet explaining the repeated plugging and unplugging of the air conditioner’s power chord had deteriorated the connection.

Overtime this increased the resistance and caused the plastic insulation inside the outlet to catch fire.

Wilson said witnesses admitted to seeing flames but the damage remained rooted to the outlet alone, though firefighters did vent the room.

There were no injuries and kids were able to return later.