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Fires, Smoke Stun D.C. Rail Second Night

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 August 2007, 00:13 CDT

By BRETT ZONGKER

WASHINGTON - Smoke and small fires crippled the Metro train system in part of northern Virginia on Monday evening - the second night of disruptions that officials attributed to electrical problems. No injuries were reported.

A fire broke out on the tracks at the Pentagon City station in Arlington, Va., about 7:30 p.m., officials said.

Trains were halted and four stations were closed in Arlington and Alexandria, including Reagan National Airport's busy station, where smoke halted service Sunday.

Officials said something appeared to be wrong with the transit system's power supply, but hadn't determined the cause, Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.

"We are doing everything we can to try to identify what the problem is," Farbstein said. "It's extremely troubling just for one day, let alone two."

A fire also was reported Monday evening at the U Street-Cardozo station in Washington. That station was closed for about an hour, along with the Columbia Heights station.

Earlier Monday, transit officials said they were investigating whether a sudden electrical surge in northern Virginia might have caused five similar incidents that shut down several rail stations on Sunday evening.

Deputy General Manager Gerald Francis said the outbreak was unprecedented in Metro's 31-year history, and he apologized to riders.

D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin said his investigators were working with Metro to determine the cause of the fires. He stressed that no one was in danger.

"It's more of a nuisance than a hazard," Rubin said.

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Associated Press Writer Brian Westley contributed to this report.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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