A man set himself on fire outside White House today.
The man was said to have "charged the White House" before setting fire to himself on the Ellipse park in Washington.
The Secret Service said in a statement: "At approximately 12:20 p.m. a man lit himself on fire on the Ellipse near 15th and Constitution Ave., Secret Service personnel are on scene assisting."
The flames were quickly doused by police using a fire extinguisher and the man was treated the scene. He was then taken to hospital.
A spokesman for the Washington Fire Department told CNBC: "I can confirm that we’ve transported one patient with burns from the Ellipse and we’re now on the scene assisting law enforcement."
It was the second such incident since April 12, when a man lit his jacket on fire outside the White House fence.
That man was hospitalised with what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries, the Secret Service said.
