NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A fire that broke out at the home of a former swingers club in Nashville has been ruled suspicious.
The incident happened around 8 p.m. Wednesday at the location on Division Street near the Gulch.
Firefighters with the Nashville Fire Department arrived on the scene and found heavy black smoke pouring out the back of the building.
The building was heavily damaged inside. Firefighters were forced to knock down walls within the structure to actually find the fire.
Officials said the blaze may have started in a utility room near a furnace.
The building was vacant and was expected to be demolished later this month. The building used to house The Social Club, a private group for swingers.
It was recently bought to make way for a re-development project.
The Social Club has been the center of controversy after it recently moved to a building in Madison where it is now classified as a church. The club reclassified itself as a church group after being denied its initial zoning request.
Fire inspectors closed the club Sunday night because the building hadn't undergone fire inspections, and the group didn't have required city permits.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The investigation remains ongoing.
