Man creates scene as he sets himself on fire near White House

A man is currently receiving first aid treatment after he set himself on fire near the White House in Washington DC on Wednesday.

The incident took place south of the president’s residence – near 15th Street and Constitution Avenue, the Secret Service said on Twitter.

“Secret Service personnel are on scene assisting @NatlParkService and @usparkpolicepio in rendering first aid,” it said, referring to park rangers and park police.

A spokesman to White House said:

“I can confirm that we’ve transported one patient with burns from the Ellipse and we’re now on the scene assisting law enforcement”.

An eyewitness who was visiting the National Mall with two of her cousins from Bolivia said:

“we saw this man” on the Ellipse and “he starts running, and then we saw him covered in flames.”

“He started to walk” and then “cops started coming to the area and he collapsed. The fire then was extinguished”, she said.

“Everybody was in shock.

“I was in shock.”

More than 70 officers swarmed the area to ensure there was no other casualty. Tourists and visitors were Alla round the vicinity observing the scene. This is all happening just a month after one man did the same thing near the White House.