Police arrest man who attempted to set himself on fire outside of the White House

AP

The Secret Service is coming under renewed scrutiny after a man scaled the White House fence and made it all the way through the front door before he was apprehended.

• A man attempted to light himself on fire outside the White House on Friday.
• Secret Service police officers arrested him before he could.
• The tourist area around the White House has increased security over the past several years.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

A man attempted to light himself on fire outside of the North Lawn of the White House on Friday, a common area where tourists walk to visit, according to multiple reports.

Secret Service police officers arrested the man, who sustained minor injuries but was unable to fully set himself ablaze.

The White House was briefly on lockdown, which is customary for incidents outside the grounds, including suspicious packages and past attempts by individuals to jump the fence.

A spokesperson for the Secret Service was not immediately available for comment.

Security surrounding the White House has increased significantly in recent years, which began after several individuals jumped over the exterior fence. In 2014, one man who leaped over the fence made it all the way into the presidential residence, which resulted in higher fencing and additional barriers for tourists looking in to the White House grounds.