Hazmat teams swarm Pentagon over potential air quality issue

Pentagon police wearing gas masks and full chemical protective gear entered the Pentagon after an air quality issue was detected.

The Pentagon Force Protection Agency's hazardous materials team and Arlington County Fire Department responded to the incident on Thursday, locking down floors 2 through 5 in corridors 4 through 7, according to three sources who spoke with CNN.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated, "The Department is executing standard protection protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected area." Systems within the Pentagon, he added, "have detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance."

Testing was expected to take up to two hours.

Retired Col. Cedric Leighton warned that windowless Pentagon facilities depend entirely on air handling systems, creating potential risks for occupants.

Arlington Fire & EMS confirmed on X, "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."

Tens of thousands work in the building, though the full scope of lockdowns and evacuations remains unclear.

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