Metro employee taken to the hospital after fire aboard train at Eastern Market station

The Eastern Market Metro station has been temporarily evacuated and riders should expect disruptions on a portion of the Blue, Orange and Silver Line after it appears someone set fire to a train seat Friday morning.

No riders were injured, but the train operator who put out the fire was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, Metro said.

“Around 9:30 a.m. a train operator reported a fire on board the train, after someone set fire to a seat,”  Metro spokeswoman Sherry Ly told WTOP in an email.

The train operator quickly put out the fire, but the train was off-loaded because of the smoke and the station was temporarily evacuated, she said.

Metro said trains on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines are single-tracking between Federal Center Southwest and Stadium-Armory and bypassing Eastern Market station.

New Metro General Manager Randy Clarke tweeted his apologies to Metro riders and said he, too, was stuck on a train after service was disrupted.

Sorry for this morning’s service impacts everyone. I’ve been stuck on a train as well. Talking w/ customer Antione who is also impacted. Earlier reports or a seat on fire on a train at Eastern Market. We are moving. We will update w/ more info after an investigation occurs. https://t.co/Qz1O1dt4qH pic.twitter.com/AvCfPFp3pO

— Randy Clarke 🚌🚊🚍 (@wmataGM) September 9, 2022

Metro Transit Police are treating the train that was set on fire as a crime scene, and the train remains on the track at the Eastern Market station. No word yet on a suspect in the fire.

Metro riders earlier shared photos on Twitter of smoke inside the Eastern Market station.

Is the metro on fire? https://t.co/zyoVqieV3m Literally, literally yes at eastern market right now… pic.twitter.com/ck71yMEji9

— Patrick H Cox (@phc_phd) September 9, 2022

This story will be updated.