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Metrorail ground to a halt Friday morning as riders confronted two small fires on the Red Line and a massive power outage downtown, creating hour-long delays and capping a week of commuter chaos in the nation's capital.
As of 1:00 p.m. Friday, all Metro stations had reopened and single-tracking had ended on the Red Line. Those who entered the system unprocessed because of the Red Line delay, can enter Metro with their farecards Friday night without problems.
Transit officials confirmed two separate fires broke out near the Metro Center Station Friday. the first fire was reported about 7:24 a.m. in the station on the tracks headed toward Glenmont. The station reopened at about 9:20, only to close a half-hour later when a second fire was reported about 9:50 a.m. in a tunnel in the direction of Shady Grove.
In addition, Dupont Circle Metrorail station was closed due to a power outage that has affected the lengthy escalators. Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said workers had to reset the station's 188-foot long escalators before the station could reopen.
Fire department spokesman Alan Etter says many people complained of 
breathing difficulties at the Dupont Circle station, where escalators weren't working because of the outage. Nine people were treated, including a 50-year-old man who was taken to a hospital because of problems with his implanted defibrillator.
The fires and the power outage caused delays of up to an hour for riders. Metro established a bus bridge at the downtown stations, but the streets were already gridlocked because the power outage had knocked out traffic signals.
It was not immediately clear whether the fires were related to the power problems. Metro has previously blamed Pepco for track fires.
Friday's fires marked the third crippling rush-hour incident on Metro this week. On Monday, an Orange Line train derailed in the tunnel between the Rosslyn and Court House stations. On Wednesday, an Orange Line train operator spotted a section of bent track. Both incidents resulted in massive delays during the evening rush hours.
Last week, power lines fell on to the tracks during Wednesday's severe weather, also causing major delays.
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