Officials in Washington D.C. say they remain unsure what caused fires to break out at several different locations in the city's Metrorail system two nights in a row. On Sunday, five fires broke out at different stations, causing smoke to billow into tunnels and along platforms. Investigators said Tuesday that an electrical surge could have caused the fires. On Monday, similar problems struck, with officials saying electrical problems caused a fire on the tracks at the Pentagon City station in Arlington, Virginia, that halted service there and at four nearby stations. Power problems also were blamed for another small fire at Washington station, which resulted in two station closures. “We are doing everything we can to try to identify what the problem is," Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein told the Associated Press. “It's extremely troubling just for one day, let alone two.” The trains were running normally again Tuesday morning and Deputy General Manager Gerald Francis apologized to riders for the inconvenience. He said the outbreak was unprecedented in Metro's 31-year history. Metrorail and fire department officials say there is no reason to suspect either criminal or terrorist involvement in the incidents.
