The U.S. Capitol complex temporarily locked down during a rehearsal for president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration after a fire in a homeless encampment about a mile away sent a plume of smoke into the air and caused security concerns.
The lockdown, which lasted roughly 30 minutes, was lifted around 11:30 a.m. ET.
Law enforcement officials later said there was no threat to the public and the fire was not believed to be a threat to the inauguration.
Officials said the evacuation of some participants and the lockdown was ordered by the acting Capitol police chief in an abundance of caution.
Biden was not participating in the rehearsal.
#DCsBravest responded to an outside fire in the 100 block of H St SE that has been extinguished. There were no injuries. This accounts for smoke that many have seen.
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) January 18, 2021
D.C.'s fire and EMS department later tweeted that the fire was taking place in the 100 block of H Street SE, which is located five to six blocks south of the Capitol.
Associated Press photos show those in attendance for the rehearsal hustling to evacuate the area.
Capitol Hill and the surrounding areas have been under high security in recent days following the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. The National Mall, which is typically packed during presidential inaugurations, is closed through Thursday, meaning it will be empty during Biden's inauguration on Wednesday.
Security officials have also installed non-scalable fencing around the Capitol, and police and federal law enforcement have set up dozens of security checkpoints throughout D.C.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
