The Foggy Bottom Metro station closed for about four hours Thursday during rush hour after an electrical fire in a tunnel filled one train with smoke and caused an evacuation, according to Metro officials.

Yuhang Zhang, a visitor from Williamsburg, Va., said smoke filled the train he was riding at about 5 p.m. He said he saw a spark outside the train while it passed through a tunnel. When he evacuated the train, he noticed a small fire in the tunnel.

It was not big . it did not block the whole tunnel, Zhang said about the fire.

The fire occurred between the Farragut West and Foggy Bottom stops, causing people to evacuate the Foggy Bottom stop and shutting down the Orange and Blue lines. The closures left hundreds of commuters outside the Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn stops searching for cabs.

Metropolitan Police Officer Barry Devitt said the fire was a fairly minor occurrence that resulted in no injuries. Paramedics treated dozens of passengers for smoke inhalation at the evacuated Foggy Bottom and Farragut West stops.

Debbie Galatro, who was visiting from New Jersey, was riding the Metro at the time.

(There was) a very loud explosion and within seconds the car filled with smoke. Galatro said. She said the car in front of the one she was on had no smoke in it.

People gathered in front of the Foggy Bottom stop and asked University Police Officer Melissa Glover for information on the Metro closing because there were no Metro officials or Metropolitan Police officers who were offering information. Although she had no official information, Glover informed a crowd of commuters anxious to get home that the Metro closing was because of a small fire that caused a small inconvenience.

Commuters were told they could either walk to the Arlington Cemetery stop to get home by Metro, wait for the Metro to open or wait for buses to arrive

Bob Hopkins, a GW employee, said he has gotten used to Metro complications and disorganization. He said he found out about the closing on television and wasn’t surprised that no Metro officials were out telling people any details or their options. He decided to find a cab to get to his Springfield home.

The Blue and Orange lines were closed from about 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.Some GW students said the closing of the station was an inconvenience, but the Metro wasn’t their only option.

I wanted to go to Metro Center, junior Joe Owen said as he stopped short of yellow police tape that blocked the Metro entrance. It’s cab time.-Sarah Lechner contributed to this report