Dozens of DeKalb County first responders called to industrial structure fire

DEKALB COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A blaze broke out in DeKalb County Friday night, leaving a machine shop seriously damaged.

The DeKalb County Fire Department said it responded to a report of an industrial structure fire at Liberty Machine Shop along East Main Street in Liberty shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Friday, June 28.

According to officials, a neighbor spotted flames coming from the roof and called 911, prompting a quick response from the Liberty, Temperance Hall, Main, and Cookeville Highway stations.

When crews arrived at the scene, they said they found heavy flames and smoke coming from the front of the building near the roof line, so they launched an aggressive interior attack and quickly contained the fire.

However, due to the age of the building and the type of construction, firefighters needed to “perform extensive overhaul operations to extinguish fire extensions between the tongue and groove ceiling, dense insulation, and the metal roof,” according to the department.

Following an extended operation, first responders said they were able to extinguish the fire, ventilate the building, and conduct salvage operations in order to help protect the machinery and other property inside the facility.

DeKalb County officials said they requested extra personnel from the Alexandria Fire Department and the Smithville Fire Department because of the lengthy period of operation, as well as the physical demands on crew members. As a result, approximately 40 firefighters ended up at the scene.

In addition, members of DeKalb County Emergency Medical Services, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, the DeKalb County Fire Department’s Rehabilitation Unit, Caney Fork Electric Company, and Middle Tennessee Natural Gas reportedly provided assistance at the scene, along with several members of the public who offered drinking water to first responders.

First responders said the front interior portion of the building sustained significant fire damage were the blaze originated in the ceiling area, but other parts of the facility ended up with moderate smoke and water damage.

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According to officials, nobody was at the building when the fire was called in. In addition, there were no reports of injuries during the incident.

As of Saturday, June 29, the cause of the blaze has yet to be determined, the fire department said.

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