Pentagon sections evacuated over hazardous materials incident

Parts of the Pentagon in Washington D.C. were sealed off and evacuated on Thursday following an incident involving hazardous materials. The precautionary measures were initiated after a problem with air quality was detected within the U.S. Department of Defense's headquarters.

According to reports citing sources close to the matter and local firefighters, several floors and corridors, specifically on the second to fifth floors in sections four to seven, were cordoned off. Some personnel present in the building were observed wearing gas masks and full chemical protective gear.

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The Pentagon's systems have detected an air quality issue requiring precautionary measures until we determine its significance.

Sean Parnell, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, confirmed that the building's systems detected an air quality issue necessitating standard protective protocols, including a containment order for the affected area. Emergency response teams were deployed to the scene. Initial air quality testing was anticipated to take one to two hours to determine the significance of the detected problem.

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The ACFD units, including our hazardous materials specialty team, are currently on scene at the Pentagon for a hazardous materials incident.