From the archives: Blaze Disrupts Commute

This story was originally published in Newsday on February 15, 2003.

An LIRR track fire in Penn Station during the evening commute made Valentine's Day an unlovable holiday for thousands of people trying to get home.

Commuters awaiting trains were evacuated from the station because of heavy white smoke that shut down the Long Island Rail Road and the Seventh Avenue subway line around 3:48 p.m. Friday, officials said. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters believed the fire was caused by a live wire touching a train wheel, but the cause remained under investigation. The fire was extinguished within minutes, but it created a "smoke condition" under Platform 11 at tracks 20 and 21.

LIRR spokesman Brian Dolan said limited eastbound service - from tracks 13 to 17 - was restored at 7:02 p.m. Normally, tracks 13 to 21 would be used. Limited westbound service was restored at 7:45 p.m. Normal service is anticipated for Saturday.

After the fire, commuters were told to take subways to Jamaica or Brooklyn. "It was orderly at Jamaica, but very crowded," Dolan said. "They had come by subway ... There were probably 5,000 people in Penn Station."

Twelve fire units, or about 60 firefighters, and several ambulance companies were on the scene after the fire broke out, said Fire Department spokesman Mike Loughran. Station workers shut off electricity to tracks 18 to 21 so firefighters could work.

The heavy smoke also caused subway service on the Seventh Avenue 1, 3, and 9 lines to be suspended in both directions, officials said. The subways were being diverted until the smoke cleared.

By rush hour, Amtrak trains were experiencing some delays and were being diverted. New Jersey Transit trains were running on schedule.

It was a different story for LIRR passengers.

Geralyn Brown of Copiague was taking the subway to Jamaica. The 36-year-old union employee said the crisis might jeopardize her Valentine's Day dinner with her boyfriend. "So much for my dinner plans," Brown said.

At the Jamaica LIRR station, trains had been severely delayed, but by about 7:45 p.m., they were departing and arriving frequently.

Harold Bennett, 30, of Brentwood, whose wife is due to give birth to their first child this summer, was rushing home to cook with her for Valentine's Day. She had to start cooking without him. "We were supposed to cook a little dinner and enjoy each other's company," he said. "But now I'm forced to wait."

 In light of terror warnings, one passenger initially was afraid. "Somebody was yelling, 'Evacuate.' It was kind of scary," said Cindy Flagg, 27, of Central Islip.

 She spent more than four hours getting to Jamaica before boarding a train for home. "Me and my husband were going to catch a movie and have dinner," she said. "Now I'll just be happy to be home."

Staff writers John Valenti and Simone Sebastian, and Nick Sambides Jr. of NYNewsday.com contributed to this story.