Several floors placed under lockdown and precautionary measures activated after safety systems detected a potential air quality issue inside the US military headquarters.
Firefighters were investigating a hazardous materials incident at the Pentagon on Thursday, Arlington County fire and rescue officials said in a post on X.
According to CNN, several floors of the Pentagon were placed under lockdown and occupants were evacuated from affected areas. The report, citing unidentified sources, said emergency responders arrived wearing full chemical-protection suits and gas masks.
In a post on X, Arlington County fire and rescue said “ACFD units, including our Hazardous Materials Team, are currently operating at the Pentagon in support of PFPA’s Hazmat Team during a hazardous materials incident.”
ACFD units, including our Hazardous Materials Team, are currently operating at the Pentagon in support of PFPA’s Hazmat Team during a hazardous materials incident. pic.twitter.com/7qzOzbwh8W
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) June 11, 2026
“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,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Reuters in an email.
“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. “Floors two through five were locked down, as well as some corridors, CNN reported.
The five-sided Pentagon building, hit during the Sept. 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks is one of the world’s largest office buildings.
First Published:
June 11, 2026, 21:19 IST
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