A fire broke out in a parking garage of Nashville’s main public library early Tuesday, sending a large plume of smoke into the air downtown and forcing evacuations from a nearby hotel. A witness heard explosions from the structure but fire officials said no injuries were reported.
“The fire went all the way across the fourth floor” of the garage, Nashville District Fire Chief Martin Hampton told WKRN-TV. He said vehicles inside were on fire, including ones used by the city for cleaning and maintenance. Guests were evacuated from the nearby Renaissance Hotel, which is connected to the garage by a skybridge.
Responding firefighters saw that a ramp between the fourth and fifth floors collapsed and several beams and columns had “significant structural compromise” from spalling damage, which generally includes pieces of concrete breaking off, said Nashville Fire Department spokesperson Kendra Loney…