Hazmat crews deployed to the Pentagon on Thursday, and authorities ordered a shelter-in-place for affected areas during what they described as a "hazardous materials incident."
In a post on X, the Arlington County Fire Department said emergency units, including its hazardous materials team, were "operating at the Pentagon in support of PFPA's Hazmat Team during a hazardous materials incident."
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said, "The Pentagon has sophisticated systems to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants. Those systems have detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance. The Department is executing standard protection protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected area. Response teams are in place and ready to support building occupants."
Shortly before 11 a.m. ET, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency sent an email to personnel instructing a shelter-in-place in four corridors from the second to the fifth floors, telling staff to move in-person meetings to virtual meetings and that all staff must comply with the directive.