San Francisco BART FIRE: I had to evacuate a train!
So at I was on a BART train this morning at about 9:15 AM (Bay Area Rapid Transit) on my way to work. It was a 9 or 10 car train and I was in the second car. I was almost to my destination, Embarcadero station, when the train had to stop in the tunnel because of a fire on the tracks ahead of our train.
The lights went out and the train operator said he was going to leave the train to try to extinguish the fire on the tracks. I guess he couldn't extinguish it because he then walked through the train to get to the back car. He said we were going to turn back and go to the last station, Montgomery. I then called my boss on my cell to tell him I would be late and I gave a quick call the the husband to let him know I was ok for the moment. The next thing I know some panicky crazy person did not follow the emergency directions and pried the doors of the car they were in open.
By this time - people from the first car evacuated onto our second car. The smoke was starting to fill the first two cars of the train. Because the doors were pried open on one of the cars farther back we all had to evacuate the train because once the doors are pried open the train won't move.
In single file we all walked to the back of the train through all 9 or so cars, which is now the front of the train. I had to jump onto a 3 foot wide platform from the doors and hold onto a rusty dirty pipe because the tracks and third rail were about 5-8 feet below the ledge that we had to walk on.
So single file in a pitch black smoky tunnel holding onto a grimy pipe I walked back to Montgomery station. No one told us where to go once we got into Montgomery station.
No one asked if we were ok or anything. I walked up a few sets of stairs and finally made it to the street level. By this time fire fighters are now rushing past me going into the station. The police blocked off all the streets in a 4 block radius around from Montgomery Station to Embarcadero Station.
I was absolutely filthy from the grime and smoke and I am still finding dirty patches. But I did get to work by about 10am.
Now I actually have to work - I just want to go home now. Don't you think that would be ok?
San Jose Mercury News Article on the BART Fire
The lights went out and the train operator said he was going to leave the train to try to extinguish the fire on the tracks. I guess he couldn't extinguish it because he then walked through the train to get to the back car. He said we were going to turn back and go to the last station, Montgomery. I then called my boss on my cell to tell him I would be late and I gave a quick call the the husband to let him know I was ok for the moment. The next thing I know some panicky crazy person did not follow the emergency directions and pried the doors of the car they were in open.
By this time - people from the first car evacuated onto our second car. The smoke was starting to fill the first two cars of the train. Because the doors were pried open on one of the cars farther back we all had to evacuate the train because once the doors are pried open the train won't move.
In single file we all walked to the back of the train through all 9 or so cars, which is now the front of the train. I had to jump onto a 3 foot wide platform from the doors and hold onto a rusty dirty pipe because the tracks and third rail were about 5-8 feet below the ledge that we had to walk on.
So single file in a pitch black smoky tunnel holding onto a grimy pipe I walked back to Montgomery station. No one told us where to go once we got into Montgomery station.
No one asked if we were ok or anything. I walked up a few sets of stairs and finally made it to the street level. By this time fire fighters are now rushing past me going into the station. The police blocked off all the streets in a 4 block radius around from Montgomery Station to Embarcadero Station.
I was absolutely filthy from the grime and smoke and I am still finding dirty patches. But I did get to work by about 10am.
Now I actually have to work - I just want to go home now. Don't you think that would be ok?
San Jose Mercury News Article on the BART Fire
posted by neonapple at
11:31 AM
4 Comments:
Wow, you had an adventure! Nothing like that happens on my bus ride home. Even if it did, I'd just have to start walking. At least you're at work with an interesting story. Everyone will want to hear about an adventure...
By
logoANN, at 1:01 PM
Wow, you had an adventure! Nothing like that happens on my bus ride home. Even if it did, I'd just have to start walking. At least you're at work with an interesting story. Everyone will want to hear about an adventure...
By
logoANN, at 1:01 PM
It would definitely be ok to go home, I think. That's some big trauma!!
By
Zegi, at 9:40 AM
How long is this fire burning! Update your blog woman!
By
logoANN, at 10:27 AM
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