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At 2 a.m. on Sunday morning tragedy struck the south side of the square on Market Street in Fayetteville. It was a four-alarm fire of historic proportions for the small city of Fayetteville with an estimated population of 7,100 and the broader Lincoln County community.

Fayetteville Fire Chief Davy Bergman said when fire crews arrived to the heart of Lincoln County — the county seat — fire was already coming out of one building. Buildings constructed in the 1840s to early 1850s.

Bergman said when the fire was jumping from building to building due to void spaces in the older, historic buildings, crews started an “aggressive attack.” The focus, according to Bergman, was to try and stop it from spreading further.

Mutual aid was provided by the many volunteers with Lincoln County Volunteer Fire Rescue, Tullahoma Fire Department and Huntsville Fire Department. Fayetteville Fire Department, led by Bergman and Assistant Fire Chief Brandon Gentry, was also supported by the Fayetteville Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. FPD Administrative Commander Jesse Casias said the departments provided essential scene security and traffic control.

Before the fire was finally extinguished, it had destroyed four buildings and five small businesses — The Skin Refinery, Mercantile on Market which shares a space with Juan Guerrero Designs, Young Vintage and The Dance Academy. The fire also displaced those living in an apartment above The Dance Academy. Jill Smith, building inspector for the City of Fayetteville, worked closely with Red Cross to find placement for those who were displaced due to the fire.

With the help of all departments on the scene, Bergman said a lot of water was put on the fire. “We got ahead of it to save what is left,” he said. “Though it is a tremendous loss, a lot was saved.”

That didn’t come without Bergman and other fire officials on the scene having to make a decision — risk the fire continuing to spread or try stopping it in its tracks. “We didn’t want to lose more buildings on the square,” Bergman said after walls had already began to collapse.

He said when a building collapses, fire is trapped and that causes the fire to potentially rekindle.

“Our decision was to get heavy equipment in to start tearing down so we could get to the seat of the fire and we wouldn’t lose any more of buildings,” Bergman said.

“Tony Groce, owner of Lincoln Paving, generously provided heavy equipment to assist in safely pulling down compromised structures to prevent rekindling,” Casias said. “We also extend our support to a local young man who provided invaluable drone support to assist fire operations.”

Three Fayetteville firefighters were injured and treated while fighting the fire. Bergman said one firefighter had a lower extremity injury and a broken leg, one was respiratory related — possibly asthma — and one sustained a sprained wrist after falling on ice.

Casias said HH Lincoln Health provided prompt and professional medical care to the injured firefighters. Two were treated and released. One has a long road to recovery, according to Bergman, who said “he is in good spirits and chomping at the bits to get back on the firetruck.”

Bergman said he couldn’t say enough about the “good work” put forth by the responders. “It was a group effort,” he said. “We could not have done it alone. We are thankful for all the mutual aid partners who came out to help.”

Bergman said the Fayetteville Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office “did more than just respond.”

He said the Sheriff’s Office even brought out inmates to help “clean up hoses or do whatever we needed.”

“That’s a huge, huge thing,” he said.

Bergman said Fayetteville Public Utilities (FPU) was “spot on making sure all the pumps were turned on and we were getting water.

 “Our new waterlines on the square, they showed out,” he said. “They did exactly what we needed them to do. We had the water, we we’re just making sure it was coming from the plant to us.

“At one time we were running three aerials (fire apparatus) which is at least 2,000 GPMs (gallons per minute) per aerial,” Bergman said. “Standalone that is huge.

“I don’t know exactly how many gallons of water were used, but if I wanted to estimate it, it’s going to be — at least — more than 1 million gallons dumped on that fire,” he said, adding they would get accurate numbers when they start running the math on each apparatus and get reports back from the water treatment plant.

FPU CEO and General Manager Britt Dye said the water system “successfully met heavy demand” supplying more than 1.5 million gallons of water without causing widespread pressure or flow issues. He credits the utility’s recent infrastructure improvements for playing a “critical role in supporting firefighters as they battled the blaze. I was glad we were able to provide the water that was needed to fight the fire on the square,” Dye said. “With all the improvements we’ve made, the system did exactly what it was supposed to do. Without those upgrades, I don’t know if the outcome would have been the same.”

Dye said FPU crews worked alongside firefighters throughout the incident, while water plant operators kept pumps running continuously to maintain tank levels across the city.

FPU also took swift action to ensure firefighter safety by de-energizing electrical lines and isolating natural gas service in areas surrounding the fire scene.

“We had to drop power lines and de-energize certain parts of the square so fire trucks could operate safely,” Dye said. “These are situations we prepare for. You can’t plan for every contingency, but we work hard to be ready when emergencies happen.”

Dye praised the coordinated response between the Fayetteville Fire Department and mutual aid crews from the Lincoln County Volunteer Fire Department along with Tullahoma, Huntsville, and surrounding areas, calling the effort a “tremendous team operation.”

“I can’t say enough about the fire departments and everyone involved,” Dye said. “It really shows what can be accomplished when everyone works together.” While Dye was out of town due to a family emergency, he said he remained in touch with the FPU operations and was confident in his team’s ability to manage the situation.

“I appreciate everyone’s patience,” he said. “It’s unfortunate this happened, but Fayetteville is a strong community, and I’m confident we’ll get everything back to normal.”

“It’s devastating,” Fayetteville Mayor Donna Hartman said on Sunday. “This is our community. This is our heart. It’s devastating for us. The community response has been remarkable. … It’s overwhelming. I just can’t get over how the community has responded to this.”

Casias said Jack Williams, director of public works, and street department employees supplied barriers and helped with debris cleanup. The crews were back on the scene at press time on Monday.

Bergman said there will be extra patrol by Fayetteville Police Department overnight and responders will be on the scene throughout the day and most likely, the week.

“There will be some sections of the square and sidewalks shut down,” he said. “We are doing that to keep people away from the rubble,” said Casias. “If you see the ‘do not cross’ tape, do not cross it. It is dangerous.”

Bergman said they are working to get the businesses who can open, back open and running. 

Bergman is also thankful for the community. “They made sure the firefighters had enough drinks and something to eat,” he said. “You took care of us. Numerous local businesses and community members stepped up … I was truly touched to see how our community came together during a time of need.”

The fire remains under investigation, according to Chief Bergman. “There will not be a thorough investigation due to origin and cause and the tactical decision to demolish the rest of the buildings because of rekindling,” he said. “The risk was too high.” He said the cause of the fire will most likely be “undetermined due to all the damage caused.”

“I am incredibly proud of our fire department for their tireless efforts in battling this fire and protecting the historic Fayetteville square while awaiting mutual aid,” Casias said. “It was equally inspiring to see the City and County law enforcement officers, along with county trustees, assisting by pulling and moving fire hoses wherever help was needed.”

Casias said this response “was truly a team effort.”

“I salute the City of Fayetteville, Lincoln County and our neighbors for their unwavering support,” he said.