An electrical transformer explosion caused power outages at several government buildings, including the State Department. Luis M. Alvarez/Associated Press
OPM, State Dept. Employees Sent Home as Several D.C. Agencies Experience Power Outage
No one injured in small fire at OPM headquarters.
An electrical fire at the Office of Personnel Management headquarters in Washington, D.C., triggered a power outage at several federal agencies Monday, and OPM and State Department workers were dismissed for the day.
The fire occurred at 9:15 a.m. in a sub-basement level of the OPM building, and was contained to a mechanical room. While no OPM employees were injured, they were evacuated immediately and later sent home so the agency could begin “remediation efforts,” according to a Nathaly Arriola, an OPM spokeswoman.
Some senior-level OPM employees will have to telework for the remainder of Monday.
“OPM instituted its continuity of operations procedures with all senior leaders working remotely," Arriola said. She added OPM will notify employees of the building’s operating status later today.
Several federal agencies surrounding the OPM building were impacted by the power outage, including the General Services Administration, the State Department and others. An official at State initially told employees to “try to be as productive as possible” during the outage, according to a report from Associated Press reporter Matt Lee, but then non-emergency employees were later sent home after the outage continued.
The power briefly flickered at the White House, according to many reports, but the incidents appear unrelated as a Pepco spokesman said construction from a non-Pepco crew damaged an underground cable in the area.
This story has been updated.