Washington (CNN) A man who set himself on fire in front of the White House on Friday afternoon was determined not to be a threat to President Donald Trump, the Secret Service said.

A cloud of smoke was visible near the White House around 3 p.m. ET, the Secret Service said, forcing the closure of part of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street.

"A male subject operating an electronic wheelchair-type scooter lit his outer jacket on fire while sitting along Pennsylvania Ave. outside the North Fence Line," the Secret Service tweeted . "Uniformed Division Officers immediately responded, extinguished the fire and rendered first aid."

Reporters saw the man being transported into an ambulance. The agency added , "The male subject has been transported to a local hospital with what appears to be non-life threatening injuries."

A Secret Service spokesperson told CNN that the man is believed to have mental health problems and was treated for first-degree burns, and that the agency does not believe there was any threat to the President.

Read More