The Pentagon was partially locked down and evacuated Thursday after the building’s safety systems detected an air quality issue related to what officials described as a hazardous materials incident.
Lockdowns took effect on floors two through five in corridors four through seven, according to a Pentagon spokesperson. Emergency personnel from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency and the Arlington County Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team responded to the scene.
“The Pentagon has sophisticated systems to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “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.”
Pentagon Force Protection Agency spokesperson Capt. Jamie Jill said the agency’s hazardous materials response team was on the scene alongside the Arlington County Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team. Officials did not disclose the specific substance or cause of the air quality issue.
The Pentagon, located in Arlington, Virginia, houses more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel. The building encompasses over 6 million square feet of floor space on a 583-acre land parcel, with corridors extending more than 17 miles.
Thursday’s incident follows recent hazardous materials events at military and government installations nationwide. The Pentagon experienced a related episode in March, when a chemical smell halted flights at four Washington-area airports for over an hour.