Department of War staff were ordered to shelter in place for safety reasons, according to the Pentagon.
Pentagon staff were cleared to return to their offices on June 11 after testing by hazmat teams found no evidence of air quality hazards at the facility, Assistant War Secretary Sean Parnell said.
“Earlier this morning, Pentagon occupants were notified of a potential air quality issue, prompting immediate precautionary safety measures and evaluation,” Parnell posted on X, more than an hour after several floors were evacuated from a section of the Department of War headquarters at Arlington, Virginia.
“Subsequent testing confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed. We express our sincere appreciation to the first responders for their swift actions to ensure the safety of all personnel.”
Pentagon staff were ordered to shelter in place after sensors detected an air quality issue in a section of the massive five-story complex that covers 6.5 million square feet.
A local fire department working on the event called it a hazmat incident.
Arlington Fire Department units and the hazardous materials team were on site operating at the Pentagon in support of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s hazmat team, the agency reported on X.
A video posted on social media showed several fire engines and emergency responders lined up at the site, blocking off a street in front of the Pentagon. Parnell said the measure was taken to ensure safety.
“The Pentagon has sophisticated systems to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants,” Parnell said in an earlier statement on X. “Those systems have detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance.”
The War Department was following standard protection protocols, Parnell said. That included the shelter-in-place order for the affected area.
