Suspicious car, vendor cart fire spur White House lockdown

Kevin Johnson | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — White House security officers scrambled Saturday to investigate a suspicious vehicle and a fire at a nearby vendor cart, prompting a lockdown on the mansion grounds.

Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said a sniffer dog reacted to a vehicle in the 1600 block of Constitution Avenue earlier Saturday. The lockdown was put into effect about 10 a.m., about the time a vendor cart caught fire at 15th and G streets.

Leary said firefighters contained the blaze. There were no apparent injuries; it is not believed the two incidents were related. The Secret Service lifted the shutdown shortly before noon, when local streets were reopened, Leary said.

The incidents delayed by 50 minutes President Obama's departure to Selma, Ala., where he and the first family joined in the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march there.



Earlier, a pool report said a loud noise was heard as media gathered outside near the South Lawn for the president's departure, which was supposed to take place at 10:30 a.m.