The White House was briefly locked down this morning after a K-9 alerted Secret Service agents to a suspicious vehicle just as a nearby vendor caught fire, according to reports.
The security scramble came just as the Obamas were slated to leave via helicopter for Selma, Ala., where the president is set to give a speech.
The First Family was kept inside and press assembled on the White House lawn were rushed back inside as security scrambled to assess what was going on.
What was initially reported as a “loud noise” apparently came from a nearby cart which caught fire at 10 a.m. at 15th and G streets, a blaze quickly doused by Washington D.C. firefighters.
At almost the same time, a bomb-sniffing canine raised suspicions about a vehicle at 16th Street and Constitution Avenue, which also prompted the Secret Service response.
Law enforcement investigated the vehicle, though it’s unclear what, if anything, was found.
The incidents caused the Obamas to be delayed roughly 40 minutes from their scheduled 10:30 departure to Selma, where the president is set to speak at events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the landmark civil rights protests known as “Bloody Sunday.”
With Post Wire Services