The Pentagon was placed on lockdown Thursday after emergency crews rushed to the military headquarters over what officials described as a “hazardous materials incident.”
Arlington County Fire and EMS said its units, including a specialized hazmat team, were called to the Pentagon to assist the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s own hazmat crew as officials scrambled to determine what triggered the alarm.
The dramatic response came after the building’s systems detected an “air quality issue,” prompting a shelter-in-place order in the affected area, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
“The Pentagon has sophisticated systems to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants,” Parnell said in a statement. “Those systems have detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance.”
The scare immediately raised concerns inside one of the most heavily secured buildings in the world, as emergency teams moved in and officials urged caution while investigators worked to figure out whether the threat was dangerous or simply a precautionary alarm.
“The Department is executing standard protection protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected area,” Parnell added. “Response teams are in place and ready to support building occupants.”
The incident unfolded at a tense moment in Washington, where the Trump administration is already facing intense scrutiny over national security, military readiness and the handling of crises inside major federal institutions.
Officials have not yet said what may have caused the air quality issue, whether anyone was injured or how long the lockdown would remain in effect.
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