Another threat? Evacuation of US Capitol

Another threat? Evacuation of US Capitol

A fire alarm clears out everyone inside the Capitol Building.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from the United States Capitol this afternoon after a fire alarm sounded. While Congress is on a weeklong Memorial recess, the visitors center was still full of staffers, tourists, school children, and reporters- all of whom were forced to wait outside on a hot, humid day while firefighters searched for the cause of the alarm.

What they found? A faulty kitchen fan.

Officials stated that the alarm was triggered by “a known problem with environmental controls with the kitchen exhaust fan.”

The official statement by the Capitol Police was not so specific. “U.S. Capitol Police & D.C. Fire are continuing to investigate the cause of an audible alarm. The U.S. Capitol Building and the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center are being evacuated due to the audible alarm,” the spokeswoman for the Capitol Police. “There are no signs of smoke or fire.”

This current false alarm comes just two days after another evacuation outside of the Capitol.

On Sunday, an unattended pressure cooker brought in the bomb squad. During the scene, alleged ‘gaseous smells’ were emitting from the cooker as the driver of a nearby vehicle was apprehended.

What happened? A food truck driver put the device outside of his truck because something was burnt to the bottom. Pressure cookers were used in the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

The paranoid feeling in Washington D.C. may be reaching an all time high. This fire alarm is only the latest in a string of false alarms, evacuations, and presidential flights that have plagued the capitol so far this year.

In today’s incident, the East Lawn was cleared and parts First Street was barricaded.

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