A fire outside the White House prompted Secret Service agents into a lock-down shortly before President Obama and the first family left for Selma, Alabama, today.
Washington, D.C, firefighters had contained the blaze at a vendor cart east of the North Lawn, said Secret Service officials. The first family was scheduled to leave the White House at 10:30 a.m. but left about an hour later than planned.
Food cart fire: 400blk of 15th St NW. units on scene. fire extinguished. 1 pt evaluated. no transport. #dctraffic
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) March 7, 2015
A K-9 also alerted Secret Service agents to a vehicle on 16th Street and Constitution Avenue, law enforcement officials said, but did not provide further details.
White House is locked down, press being held inside. SOP for fence jumper, suspicious pkg, etc. Not too uncommon.
— Chris Good (@c_good) March 7, 2015
View from inside WH briefing room w/ pool reporters & crews locked down & held inside, filming Secret Svc on N Lawn pic.twitter.com/Jm8r5JAlyW
— Chris Good (@c_good) March 7, 2015
The first family will be in Selma later today, where President Obama was to make make a speech for the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," a landmark event of the civil rights movement.
