Part of the Pentagon, which serves as the headquarters of the United States Department of Defence, went into a lockdown on Thursday because of a “hazardous materials incident”, according to a report by news agency AFP.
In a post on X, the Arlington County Fire Department said that it had units, including their Hazardous Materials Team, operating at the Pentagon during the incident.
“ACFD units, including our Hazardous Materials Team, are currently operating at the Pentagon in support of PFPA’s Hazmat Team during a hazardous materials incident,” the post read.
The Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the building’s safety systems “have detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance”.
He further said that the Defence Department “is executing standard protection protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected area”.
Response teams are ready to support building occupants, he added.
