NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Fire officials have deemed a downtown parking garage unstable following an early morning blaze that forced hotel evacuations and left many vehicles inaccessible.
The fire broke out around 2 a.m. at the parking garage located at the corner of 6th and Commerce, spreading to the fourth and fifth floors where firefighters also discovered a partial structural collapse.
"When you can see black smoke this time of morning, you know it's bad," said Nashville District Fire Chief Martin Hampton.
The garage, a popular parking spot for both locals and visitors exploring downtown, will remain closed indefinitely while engineers assess the structural integrity.
"Since we've deemed it unstable for now, we're not going to let anyone in, and we're not going in since the fire is out," fire officials said.
Hotel guests at the adjacent Renaissance were awakened and forced to evacuate.
"There were announcements going on in everyone's room saying this is not a drill. Please evacuate your room," Skye and Ali Marino said.
"As we were taking the escalator down, we heard two pops or explosions," another evacuee reported.
Some guests had to walk down as many as 16 flights of stairs during the evacuation. Despite the emergency, many visitors noted the positive response from locals.
"Everyone is just so nice here. We're not used to that really, so it's great to see," one hotel guest said.
For downtown residents, the garage closure creates significant parking challenges.
"I don't know what will happen to the cheap parking downtown now," Daniel Wyatt said.
"It's safe. It feels so safe because you have the security guard here, you have a patrol and stuff. My sister is still a kid, so whenever she comes, we park there because our building is $50 to have someone over for a couple hours," said Wyatt.
Fire investigators don't believe the fire was intentionally set, though the cause remains under investigation.
The library's main branch will also remain closed until further notice.
Those with vehicles in the garage can call 615-352-0415x131 or fill out this form [parkingmgt.jotform.com] for more information.
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Were you affected by the downtown parking garage fire? Do you have photos, videos, or personal experiences to share? I'm working on follow-up coverage about the impact on downtown parking and would like to hear from you. Contact me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
