False alarm apparently triggered hazmat response at Pentagon, sources say, as employees await all-clear

Multiple floors of the Pentagon were locked down for several hours on Thursday and hazmat crews were deployed due to what sources said was apparently a false alarm.

The Arlington County Fire Department said Thursday morning in a social media post that emergency units, including its hazardous materials team, were “operating at the Pentagon in support of PFPA’s Hazmat Team during a hazardous materials incident.”

Initial reports later indicated that a false alarm triggered the hazmat response, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.

Employees on Thursday afternoon were waiting for an all-clear as hazmat teams worked to confirm the cause.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said a shelter-in-place was in place for affected areas. The Pentagon’s sophisticated systems had “detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance,” he said.

Two sources confirmed that some floors were evacuated while others were told to shelter in place.

The Pentagon Force Protection Agency put out an email to Pentagon personnel shortly before 11 a.m. ET to shelter in place, specifically in corridors 4,5,6 and 7 from floors 2-5. All staff were told to comply with the directive. Staff were told to move in person meetings to virtual meetings.