Hairy situation: DC’s rail system may be taken down by human shedding

Enlarge / The DC Metro, when it's not on fire. (credit: Getty | Bill Clark)

For residents of our nation's capital, news of a fire on the city's rapid transit system-the Washington Metro-is not surprising. It catches fire and smokes quite regularly. At some points last year, there were reports of more than four fires per week (although there's some dispute about that rate). There's even the handy site-IsMetroOnFire.com-to check the current blaze status.

Yet, despite the common occurrence, residents may be surprised to learn a potential contributor to the system-wide sizzling: their own hair.

According to a safety specialist with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), a thick, felt-like layer of human hair, skin, and other debris has collected on the aging tracks of the city's rails. In particular, hair has built up on insulators supporting the transit system's electrified third rails, which run cables carrying 750 Volts of electricity to power the trains. The hair coating delivers a real threat of electrical sparks and fire.

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