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Topics: US News, Police, Washington
Callum Jones
An unknown caller called 911 to report that the White House was up in flames - however, it was all fake.
On Monday (15 January), the emergency services received a call early in the morning alleging that the White House was on fire.
A person reportedly close to the situation spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity.
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The Associated Press report said that fire engines and other emergency vehicles had responded to a report just after 7 a.m. that the White House was ablaze and a person was trapped inside.
And within 15 minutes, the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services and U.S. Secret Service personnel determined that it was a false call and the response was cancelled.
When the number was called back, according to the source, a person at the other end claimed it did not take place, indicating it had likely been false.
It still remains unclear who issued the false call.
A Secret Service spokesperson also told NBC News that if a fire had occurred at The White House, then it would have been detected immediately.
UNILAD has reached out to The White House and the Secret Service for comment.
President Joe Biden was not present in The White House at the time after spending part of the weekend at the presidential retreat in Maryland, and also being involved in a service event in Philadelphia to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
"Today, we reflect on the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and recommit to honoring his moral vision on the path to redeeming the soul of our Nation," Biden said at the event.
The president returned to The White House on Monday afternoon.
Noah Grey, a communications for City Fire and EMS, told NBC that the call was 'in the same spirit' of 'swatting' incidents that have been targeting multiple public officials in recent months.
'Swatting', as reported by The Guardian, is a method of calling multiple law enforcement and emergency services to a fake emergency incident.
And such calls have impacted politicians such as Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott, special counsel Jack Smith, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
But it isn't just politicians that have been victim of false calls - with one Twitch streamer having had their house raided after the police were falsely called on them.