Key facts
- The Pentagon was placed on lockdown due to a false alarm regarding an air quality issue.
- A partial shelter-in-place order was issued for affected areas.
- First responders investigated the potential for hazardous materials exposure.
- Subsequent testing confirmed no hazard existed.
- Normal operations have resumed at the Pentagon.
- Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the incident was a false alarm.
The Pentagon experienced a brief partial shelter-in-place order on Wednesday following a false alarm related to an air quality issue. First responders, including the Arlington County Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Team and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, investigated the potential for hazardous materials exposure. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that precautionary safety measures were implemented while tests were carried out. Subsequent testing confirmed that no hazard existed, and normal operations have since resumed. Additional testing for the air quality issue was initially expected to take one to two hours.