Fake 911 Report of Fire at the White House Triggers Emergency Response While Biden Is at Camp David

A firetruck is parked outside of the White House in Washington, Dec. 19, 2007. (AP)
A firetruck is parked outside of the White House in Washington, Dec. 19, 2007. (AP)
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Fake 911 Report of Fire at the White House Triggers Emergency Response While Biden Is at Camp David

A firetruck is parked outside of the White House in Washington, Dec. 19, 2007. (AP)
A firetruck is parked outside of the White House in Washington, Dec. 19, 2007. (AP)

A fake 911 call that the White House was on fire sent emergency vehicles to the complex Monday morning, when President Joe Biden and his family were at Camp David.

Fire engines and other emergency vehicles responded to a report just after 7 a.m. that the White House was ablaze and a person was trapped inside, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person was not authorized to talk about the fake emergency call and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Within minutes, District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services and US Secret Service personnel determined that it was a false report and called off the response.

Someone who was reached at the callback number for the 911 report indicated they did not place it, the person said, indicating it was likely spoofed.

Biden is set to return to the White House on Monday afternoon after spending part of the weekend at the presidential retreat in Maryland and participating in a service event in Philadelphia to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day.



1 Killed and 19 Injured as Hot Air Balloons Crash in Central Türkiye

Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)
Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)
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1 Killed and 19 Injured as Hot Air Balloons Crash in Central Türkiye

Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)
Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)

Two hot air balloons crashed in central Türkiye on Sunday, leaving one person dead and 19 injured, according to local media reports.

The accident occurred near the Ihlara Valley in Aksaray province, the private Ilhas News Agency and other outlets said. It was not immediately clear why the hot air balloons crashed.

Hot air ballooning is a popular tourist activity over the rugged landscape of central Türkiye, which is dotted with ancient churches hewn into cliff faces. The attractions include the “fairy chimneys” of Cappadocia, tall, cone-shaped rock formations created by natural erosion over thousands of years that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Video from Ilhas showed one deflated balloon, its passenger basket lying on its side, as emergency services tended to injured people.