Red Line situation turned dire when trash barrels caught on fire

The MBTA had to shut Red Line service inbound from Harvard Square after paper in rubbish barrels along the tracks underneath Quincy Street caught fire around 9:30 a.m.

At 9:40 a.m., the MBTA reported delays of up to 20 minutes on the Red Line due to what it said were reports of smoke in the area of Harvard Square. The Cambridge Fire Department reports there was a bit more than just smoke and that the T had to shut down power so that firefighters could respond.

Wait, 20 minutes, they say? Brecka reports she's on a train just sitting at Harvard:

Been here for 50 minutes and the firefighters just walked by. No trains are moving….. unclear how 20 minutes = no trains have moved for the last hour.

At 9:57, the T updated:

Shuttle buses replace service between Porter and Park St while Cambridge fire continues to investigate reports of smoke near Harvard. Red Line service will operate on a single track between Alewife and Porter.

H/t MassFirePics.