A small fire broke out early Tuesday morning on the Washington Avenue Bridge, interrupting travel for Green Line trains, pedestrians and buses, Metro Transit spokesman Howie Padilla said.
A homeless person’s possessions caught fire, drawing Minneapolis firefighters and University of Minnesota police to the site, said Minneapolis Fire Department spokesman Bryan Tyner.
The fire, which was called in at about 7:40 a.m., was small enough to be put out with a fire extinguisher, but it burned some of the wiring on the Green Line, Tyner said.
Xcel engineers were sent to examine the scene and determine when transit could continue, Padilla said.
The trains stopped during peak University commute hours — before 8 a.m., he said.
Train service resumed at about 11 a.m., he said. Earlier, buses ran between the Raymond Avenue Station in St. Paul and the Downtown East Station, he said.
“This isn’t the first service delay we’ve had,” Padilla said. “Our priority is obviously to get people from place to place.”
