Ironically, a Segway used by the police caused a fire at Washington Dulles Airport on the evening of August 20, 2023. The electrically powered vehicle caught fire near an Egyptair ticket counter for reasons that are still unclear.
The rapid intervention of the airport fire brigade prevented the flames from spreading significantly to the terminal. For safety reasons, the affected area had to be evacuated and temporarily closed.
The passengers had to be outside the terminal for further instructions from the operator and the emergency services. It was also necessary to protect health that extensive smoke extraction had to be carried out after extinguishing. Around 21:00 p.m. the green light was given and processing resumed.
According to official information, no passengers were injured in the incident. However, two police officers who were the first to respond with fire extinguishers were taken to a nearby hospital with unspecified injuries for further evaluation.
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority does not assume third-party fault, but a technical defect in the Segway. For reasons yet to be determined, the accumulator could have overheated and consequently caught fire. Chess experts should now determine this. The damage to property at the terminal is said to be rather minor.