GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKRN) – After fire crews from several agencies worked to put out a fire at the construction site of the new Sumner County Courthouse, officials are releasing new information.
Officials said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) will be investigating the incident because the building is a public building and taxpayer dollars are involved.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The building has been declared safe now so that the process of recovery can begin.
Members of the Sumner County EMA were the first to arrive on the scene Sunday night after they saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof.
Fire investigators said about 30% of the roof and materials on top of the roof were damaged in the fire.
No injuries to fire crews or others were reported.
“We’re extremely happy that no one was injured. You can replace a building, but you cannot replace a life,” said Sumner County Mayor Anthony Holt.
Fire investigators are working with the National Weather Service to determine if there was a lightning strike at the time of the fire.
Construction on the new courthouse began in April 2021 and was set to open in 2023. The total cost of the project was estimated to be around $83 million.
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This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.