A man lit himself on fire in a park outside the White House on Wednesday, prompting a large emergency response, Secret Service said.
The Secret Service said the incident happened around 12:20 p.m. on The Ellipse, near 15th Street and Constitution Avenue south of the White House.
“At approximately 12:20 p.m. a man lit himself on fire on the Ellipse near 15th and Constitution Ave., Secret Service personnel are on scene assisting @NatlParkService and @usparkpolicepio in rendering first aid,” the agency wrote.
UPDATE:
Breaking: A man has set himself on fire on the White House lawn. pic.twitter.com/YjQEqo45qp
— PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews) May 29, 2019
A girl who witnessed the incident said the man had been running through the park before setting himself ablaze.
“Police and rescue have responded,” Krisjan Berzins tweeted. “They’re closing all surrounding streets right now.”
Berzins also posted a video, which showed a person engulfed in flames.
“Video of the person that was literally engulfed in flames on the #WhiteHouse lawn,” Berzins wrote. “Unbelievable.”
The Secret Service said in a statement the man (unidentified) was being transported to a local hospital. His condition is not yet known.
A similar incident happened last month when another man set himself ablaze while positioned along the White House’s North Fence Line.
The suspect was “operating an electric wheelchair-type scooter” when officials say he set his outer jacket on fire, the Secret Service said at the time.
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