Blown Insulator Sparked Fire At SF BART Station: Officials

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A fire caused by a blown insulator at the Civic Center BART station in San Francisco caused major transit delays Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Emergency crews responded to the station around 11:30 a.m. after receiving reports of an explosion on the BART platform level, the San Francisco Fire Department told Patch.

When crews arrived, they saw smoke coming from the vents on the street and began preparing for the possibility of victims, San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson Samuel Menchaca said.

But no injuries were reported during the incident, Menchaca added.

Crews were able to locate what appeared to be an electrical fire on the third rail near the Civic Center and quickly put it it using a dry chemical extinguisher, Menchaca said.

BART spokesperson Anna Duckworth said the insulator blew after a foreign object on the trackway blew into the third rail.

No train was on the trackway at the time, and repairs to the impacted have been made, Duckworth said.

"We have resumed running trains on the track with full service systemwide, Duckworth said.

This is a developing story. Check back for more information.