A minor mechanical problem reportedly caused a Tenleytown Metro escalator to smoke just after 3 p.m. today. The street-level escalator was on the west side of Wisconsin Avenue near Best Buy.
The issue stopped when the escalator was turned off, said Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority spokesperson Steven Taubenkibel. The D.C. Fire Department was called as a precaution, he said.
Taubenkibel said WMATA did not know if someone was on the escalator when the issue arose.
K. Devine, a technician at DCFD’s Station 20 on Warren Street and Wisconsin Avenue NW, said the problem took only about 15 minutes to fix. Devine declined to give his first name.
The Fire Department vehicles left about an hour after being called to the scene, and the incident did not impact rail service.
landerson@theeagleonline.com
