Portions of the Pentagon went into a shelter-in-place Thursday as officials locked down multiple floors and hallways in response to a potential air hazard situation, according to three officials.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said building monitoring systems detected an air-quality issue, prompting precautionary measures while officials work to determine the source and extent of the problem.
Sources told ABC News that authorities are investigating what caused a sensor to alert for a potential hazardous air quality issue at the Pentagon. Additional testing is ongoing to verify whether there is any hazard or if the sensor was faulty, multiple sources say. That testing could take a couple of hours.
Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo
“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,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “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.”
The shelter-in-place in the impacted areas is ongoing “until all clear is given,” the Pentagon Force Protection Agency said midday Thursday.
In a message sent to Pentagon employees earlier Thursday, employees in certain corridors on select floors were urged to remain in place while awaiting testing results, which it noted could take one to two hours.
The Arlington County Fire Department said its hazardous materials team responded to the Pentagon in support of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s Hazmat Team “during a hazardous materials incident.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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