Certain areas in the Pentagon went on lockdown Thursday morning due to an \u201cair quality incident\u201d that was later revealed to be a false alarm.\u00a0
\nAn alert, shared with Fox News Digital, carrying a \u201csevere\u201d rating was sent to employees in multiple corridors of the building directing them to shelter in place. All other personnel were told to avoid the area. As of 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time Thursday, the lockdown order was lifted, according to Pentagon officials.\u00a0
\n\u201cEarlier this morning, Pentagon occupants were notified of a potential air quality issue, prompting immediate precautionary safety measures and evaluation. Subsequent testing confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed,\u201d chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a Thursday statement.\u00a0
\n\u201cWe express our sincere appreciation to the first responders for their swift actions to ensure the safety of all personnel,\u201d he said.\u00a0
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A hazardous materials team scrubbed several locations in the Pentagon\u2019s A ring, the center-most location in the building, according to a Pentagon official.\u00a0
\nApproximately 23,000 to 27,000 people work in the Pentagon on any given day.\u00a0
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\nSecretary Pete Hegeth\u2019s office and chairman of the joint chiefs Gen. Dan Caine\u2019s office are not located in the corridors placed under lockdown.\u00a0
\nSystems detected a problem with the air quality in part of the building and a device picked up a biohazard scent, the Pentagon source told Fox News.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Arlington, Virginia, fire department confirmed on X it sent its Hazardous Materials team to support the Pentagon Force Protection Agency\u2019s Hazmat team with the incident.
\nThe last notable Pentagon lockdown was in August 2021, when a Pentagon police officer was killed during a violent incident at the Pentagon Transit Center.\u00a0
\nThe Pentagon has spent years developing systems designed to detect and contain airborne threats inside the building.\u00a0
\nFollowing the Sept. 11 attacks, officials launched the Pentagon Shield program, which uses sensors, computer modeling and building ventilation controls to help identify chemical, biological and radiological hazards and limit their spread through the Pentagon\u2019s five-ring structure.\u00a0
\nBuilding systems can adjust airflow and isolate affected areas while emergency responders assess a potential threat.
\nFox News\u2019 Liz Friden contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"