La Vergne Fire Rescue contained a fire at a 12-unit apartment complex on Madison Square Boulevard Sunday afternoon, preventing significant spread throughout the building.
Crews arrived to find fire on a second-story balcony extending into the roofline and spreading to an adjacent apartment. The fire had moved into the attic, creating rapidly changing conditions that prompted a temporary evacuation of firefighters for safety.
Battalion Chief Cody Wilson, who served as incident commander, transitioned to defensive operations and used an aerial device to apply water from above. Eight La Vergne units were on site with about 25 personnel, including command staff and mutual aid from Smyrna Fire Department.
“Within minutes, conditions improved, allowing crews to safely re-enter the structure and complete extinguishment,” Fire Marshal Curtis Brinkley said. “The fire was brought under control in approximately 25 minutes.”
Firefighters contained most of the damage to the originating second-story apartment, with some impact to a neighboring unit and portions of the roofline. Residents displaced by the fire were connected with the American Red Cross.
All residents had evacuated safely before firefighters arrived and no civilian injuries were reported. One firefighter sustained a minor injury after a cat bit him while successfully rescuing the pet during the incident.
Box 55, La Vergne Police Department, and Rutherford County EMS provided additional support for the fire response.
Fire Marshal Curtis Brinkley said built-in fire protection features helped limit the spread.
“When we build multifamily dwellings like this, firewalls are required,” Brinkley said. “They did their job and helped prevent further spread to adjoining apartments, giving occupants more time to get out.”
Brinkley said discarded smoking materials on the balcony caused the fire, highlighting how quickly a small ignition source can spread, particularly in multi-unit buildings.
As conditions across Rutherford County remain under a Drought Level 2 status, fire officials remind residents to fully extinguish and properly dispose of smoking materials, as even small embers can ignite fires in dry conditions.
To learn more about fire prevention and safety, visit the Fire Department online at LaVergneTN.gov/585.
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