US Capitol Evacuated Briefly After Alarm in Visitor Center

The US Capitol Building was evacuated on Tuesday due to an alarm that sounded in the visitor center.

According to The Associated Press, employees were let back into the building after roughly an hour when police and firefighters discovered that the alarm went off due to a faulty exhaust fan in the visitor center kitchen. Visitors were allowed back in shortly thereafter. 

Lawmakers were not present at the time the alarm went off. The legislature is not in session this week due to a weeklong Memorial Day break.

Capitol Police spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider said that the alarm was likely triggered by smoke in the kitchen, however there didn't appear to be signs of a fire having ignited. That suggested that someone must've burned the pot roast.

Several of the evacuees documented the incident on Twitter.

This is what a Capitol evacuation looks like on a recess day. https://t.co/YLM9Ce2waf

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) May 26, 2015

Capitol Police & DC Fire continue to investigate audible alarm that evacuated Capitol & visitors center. pic.twitter.com/YV3pCiVK0J

— John R Parkinson (@jparkABC) May 26, 2015

People now entering US Capitol visitor center post evacuation. I'll be live at 202 on @WNEW pic.twitter.com/CdJMR5qJ32

— Robert Dawson (@DawsonRob) May 26, 2015

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