An aerial view of the Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense in Arlington, Virginia, on May 31, 2026.
Daniel Slim | AFP | getty images
Some Pentagon employees were told to shelter in place Thursday after an air quality issue was detected in the massive building’s systems, a Defense Department spokesman said.
As reported by MS Now, Pentagon employees in corridors 4 to 7, floors 2 to 5 were told in an email to remain in their offices until the results of the air testing were complete, according to an email.
A person familiar with the situation told CNBC that Pentagon guards were wearing gas masks.
A hazardous materials team from the Arlington County, Virginia, Fire Department “is currently working at the Pentagon in support of the (Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s) Hazmat team during a hazardous materials incident,” the department said in a post on Twitter.
MS Now reported that there was no law enforcement unit at the Pentagon in connection with the incident.
“The Pentagon has sophisticated systems in place to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
“Those systems have detected an air quality issue and it is necessary to take precautionary measures until we can determine its significance,” Parnell said.
“The department is executing standard safety protocols, including shelter-in-place orders, for the affected area. Response teams are in place and ready to support building occupants.”
The Pentagon, the second largest office building in the world, is home to thousands of military and civilian employees of the Department of Defense.
The massive campus is located on the eastern edge of Arlington, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
This is developing news. Check back for updates.
