The US Capitol was temporarily closed and evacuated due to overcautiousness by security officials in response to a fire near the compound. This is reported by the US Secret Service guarding government buildings on Twitter.
The security officials said a small fire that caused alarm was extinguished. “There is no threat to public safety,” the post said.
Soon after the Congress building was locked down and workers were evacuated, the cause of the smoke was already known, causing the alarm. It turned out that a fire had started under an overpass a few blocks from the Capitol, where the tents of the homeless were located.
On January 6, supporters of the current head of state Donald Trump, who did not recognize the results of the November presidential elections, stormed the Capitol. This happened during a rally that escalated into clashes with the police. Five people were killed.
