A fire near the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on the morning of the 18th caused a brief interruption of President-elect Joseph Biden’s inauguration rehearsal.
The police quickly blocked the building and found it a false alarm.
Biden himself and other dignitaries did not attend the rehearsal and were replaced by a double. The United States Marine Corps Band is rehearsing the repertoire that will be played at the ceremony.
A homeless camp less than two kilometers from the Capitol caught fire and smoked, triggering a safety alarm, rehearsals were evacuated from the west side of the building, and the band entered the safe area of the building.
Rehearsal participants said security personnel shouted “This is not a drill” during the evacuation.
The Capitol Police Department ordered a speedy blockade of the Capitol, which was lifted about an hour later.
Rehearsals resumed soon after, and a helicopter patrolled over the Capitol.
The fire may have been caused by improper use of a portable gas stove by a woman living in a camp.
The firefighters rushed to put out the fire quickly.
The woman told the firefighters that the flames spread quickly and burned her belongings.
The Associated Press interpreted that the decisive blockade order issued by congressional police shows that Washington was panicked after the violent impact on the Capitol.
Supporters of current President Donald Trump violently hit Congress on the 6th, killing one congressional policeman and four demonstrators.
The city of Washington is nervous and the security measures before Biden’s inauguration are extraordinary.
Over the past weekend, demonstrations of Trump supporters across the United States were thunderous and raining, but public anxiety remained rising.
