A portion of Metro's Red Line has been suspended Saturday after an insulator fire created "heavy smoke" at the Friendship Heights station, D.C. Fire and EMS says.
Metro said Red Line service was suspended between the Van Ness and Medical Center stations. Buses were used to transport riders between the stations.
D.C. Fire and EMS said smoke was reported at the Friendship Heights station at 7:15 p.m. after an insulator was on fire at the platform.
A train operator reported the problem, and a train was evacuated at the Tenleytown-AU station, Metro said.
Firefighters worked to ventilate smoke between the Tenleytown-AU and Friendship Heights stations after trouble inside a mechanical room, the fire department said. Metro said it is currently inspecting the tracks.
A spokesperson for Metro called it an arcing insulator incident. A woman died last January after a similar emergency caused heavy smoke at the L'Enfant Plaza station.
No injuries were reported, fire officials said.
