Pentagon Hazmat Scare Prompts Temporary Lockdown

ARLINGTON, VA — A potential air quality issue that prompted safety protocols and brought area Hazmat teams to the Pentagon Thursday morning turned out not to have occurred, according to a government official.

"Earlier this morning, Pentagon occupants were notified of a potential air quality issue, prompting immediate precautionary safety measures and evaluation," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement posted to X. "Subsequent testing confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed."

The lockdown lasted for about two hours.

"We express our sincere appreciation to the first responders for their swift actions to ensure the safety of all personnel," Parnell said.

Arlington County fire and rescue units, including the Hazardous Materials Team, were first called to the Pentagon around 11 a.m. on Thursday in response to a hazardous materials incident, according to authorities.

The agency said it was supporting the Pentagon Force Protection Agency's Hazmat Team.

At that time, news reports said the incident necessitated the evacuation of multiple floors of the building.

"The Pentagon has sophisticated systems to ​ensure the safety of the building and ​its occupants," Parnell said, after the initial alert went out. "Those systems have detected an ⁠air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we ​determine its significance."

The department then instituted standard protection protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected areas, according to Parnell.

Sources told CNN that floors two through five in corridors four through seven were placed on lockdown and that police were in the building wearing full protective gear and gas masks.