WASHINGTON — The number of fires being reported on the Metro rail system has been going down, according to findings from a quarterly safety-related report.
Metro officials announced the findings during a meeting Thursday morning.
According to the report, there were 50 fires on Metro through the first half of the year.
That is down 39 percent when compared to the same period of time in 2016.
“We have to keep on top of that and reduce any chance of it,” said Metro’s General Manager Paul Wiedefeld. “They will still occur because it’s part of the industry. But we’ve brought it down and we’re going to continue to do that.”
The most progress came in the area of nonelectrical fires.
“Nonelectrical fires typically consist of material on the roadway that ignites for various reasons,” explained Metro’s chief safety officer Pat Lavin. “Efforts to reduce these fires include regular track cleaning.”
There were 15 such fires reported in the first half 2017, down 56 percent compared to the same time period last year.
There were also fewer reports of arcing insulators, the type of malfunction that led to the 2015 incident at L’Enfant Plaza when a tunnel and train filled with smoke, leaving dozens sick and one passenger dead.
“These events occur when stray current from the third rail finds an alternative path to the ground, primarily as a result of wet conditions,” Lavin said.
There were 34 reports of arcing insulators in the first half 2017, a drop of nearly 28 percent from the same time period in 2016.
“I think it’s a combination of the more time we’re spending out in the field, cleaning debris, replacing cables, all the things that we’ve been doing over the last year,” Wiedefeld said. “We replaced all the old insulators, and now we’re out cleaning.”
In addition to releasing the safety report, Metro’s board officially added two new members, swearing in David Horner and Steve McMillin. They were recently appointed by the Trump administration, replacing the board’s previous federal representatives.
