Bridge fire shuts downs Nolensville Pike in South Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Authorities investigated what started a fire on a bridge on Nolensville Pike and Harding Place Wednesday afternoon.

Officials received a call about the fire around 12:19 p.m. and the Nashville Fire Department quickly put the fire out.

Officials said that the fire happened due to the amount of trash that was there and it got out of control.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) said that part of the roadway had to be shut down so that they could inspect the bridge and make sure it was structurally sound.

Around 3:30 p.m., officials with TDOT said that the road was reopened after the inspection team assessed the bridge.

Cellphone video captured the large plume of smoke which covered a large portion of the bridge. For hours, police shut down the road as the firefighters put the fire out.

Remy Mattison was driving in the area at the time of the fire. He took cellphone video of flames and smoke.

“It was burning at least a good 20 minutes and it seemed like it was just getting bigger and larger as time went on,” said Mattison.

He says he was in the area when he noticed the fire.

“I noticed a humongous fire and a lady under the bridge, and I don’t know what was going on. It sounded like fireworks were cracking off and maybe like cans combusting or something I don’t know,” said Mattison.

Mattison described what he saw during the fire.

“I only saw one person under there. And she didn’t look worried at all. She was just standing there. I was actually calling for her to get out of there as her friends arrived and everything happened at one time,” said Mattison.

Metro police arrested two people, a man and a woman on the scene for reckless burning. No one was injured due to the fire.

“I’m glad everybody got out safe,” said Mattison.

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