US Secret Service vehicle catches fire near White House ahead of Trump's talks with Netanyahu
Officials say blaze caused by electrical issue, with no injuries
File photo
ISTANBUL
A vehicle of the Secret Service caught fire near the White House on Monday, just hours before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump, with an electrical issue blamed for the mishap.
The blaze broke out at 9.31 am local time (1331GMT) at the intersection of 18th Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue, according to the DC Fire and EMS Department. Two units and a battalion chief responded to the incident and extinguished the flames.
No injuries were reported.
The Secret Service, which acts as security guard for the president and vice president, said the fire was caused by an electrical issue and stressed there were “no impacts to our protective operations.”
Netanyahu, whose military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023, arrived in the US last week for the UN General Assembly and talks with Trump on a roadmap for a Gaza ceasefire.
