Photo by James McNellis
James reports to us at 6:30am: “It appears that wmata headquarters is on fire.”
DCFD reported at 6:25am: “Working Fire 600 5th St NW. fire showing from top floor of Metro headquarters.”
From WMATA:
“We are grateful all employees and occupants were safely evacuated during this morning’s fire at Metro’s headquarters, the Jackson Graham Building in Downtown, DC. Thanks to the quick response from DC Firefighters, the fire was quickly contained, and there were no reported injuries to Metro employees or first responders. We are currently assessing the damage and working closely with DCFEMS to identify the cause of the fire.
Metro is currently constructing a new headquarters in DC to replace the Jackson Graham Building, which has not undergone a major renovation since its construction and does not meet today’s fire & life safety standards for new buildings. As noted in our public presentations, fire/life safety factors were primary considerations in our decision to move.”
Crazy video of the huge flames coming out of the windows:
There was a considerable volume of fire when #DCsBravest arrived at Metro Headquarters. Despite these conditions in an 8 story square block building, fire was extinguished in a relatively short time. pic.twitter.com/Fda5ltocBG
— DC Fire and EMS #StayHomeDC (@dcfireems) May 27, 2020
Update from DC Fire & EMS at 7:38am: “Update 2 Alarm Fire 600 5th St NW. #DCsBravest have extinguished the fire. We continue to remove smoke from this very large building and are working with @wmata officials on salvage operations to minimize damage. No injuries have been reported. Fire investigators on scene.”