Fire trucks and ambulances stormed the U.S. White House on Monday morning, January 15, after a prankster told 911 dispatchers the building was on fire and someone was trapped inside.
According to Mail Online, President Joe Biden was at Camp David when the call came before D.C. fire and emergency services dispatched 13 units in response.
The White House now appears to be the latest victim in the dangerous ‘swatting’ trend that is sweeping the country.
The call was made around 7am on Monday morning, sparking a large emergency response, before it was determined to be a false alarm.
The call to the White House was traced to a fake number, a source told CNN.
The call, which came at 7:03 a.m., was determined by District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services and U.S. Secret Service personnel to be a false alarm.
‘Fire in the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,’ a DC dispatcher said at 7:04 am.
An ‘all clear’ was declared at 7:15 a.m.
Someone who was reached at the callback number for the 911 report indicated they did not place it, a source told the Associated Press, indicating it was likely spoofed.
Biden is scheduled to return to the White House on Monday afternoon after spending the better part of the day in Philadelphia for a service event in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.