Fire in US Capitol underground trolley system sends two officers to hospital, triggers brief road closures

A small fire inside the underground trolley system connecting the US Capitol and the Rayburn House Office Building sent at least two people for medical evaluation on Thursday(November 20), prompting emergency response and temporary road closures around the Capitol complex.

According to the DC Fire and EMS Department, crews responded Thursday afternoon after reports of a fire atop a trolley traveling between the Rayburn House Office Building and the Capitol. According to the NBC Montana website, the blaze, described as a “small electrical fire,” was quickly extinguished.



A US Capitol Police spokesperson confirmed the trolley had been moving away from the Rayburn building when the incident occurred. Two US Capitol Police officers were transported to the hospital for evaluation, authorities said. No passengers aboard the trolley were injured.

By 6:25 pm, all smoke had cleared, and after briefly closing Independence Avenue between Washington Avenue SW and Second Street SE, authorities reopened the roadway.

The US Capitol subway system, used daily by lawmakers, staff, and high-profile visitors, consists of three underground lines operated by the Architect of the Capitol (AOC). While two of the lines run beneath the Russell and Dirksen Senate Office Buildings, the Rayburn line, where Thursday’s fire took place, has been in service since the 1960s, according to the AOC.

Officials said it remains unclear who was inside the vehicle when the fire was reported. Emergency crews cleared the scene after securing the area, and the cause of the electrical malfunction is under investigation.