TBI Investigating Old West Fire

McKENZIE (January 27) — Local authorities, in collaboration with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), are investigating a destructive fire that broke out during the night of Tuesday, January 7 and continued into early Wednesday morning at the Old West Steakhouse. The blaze prompted a multi-department response and resulted in extensive damage.

Officials have enlisted the TBI to determine the fire’s cause and origin. TBI investigators were on the scene the week of January 20, meticulously combing through the debris in search of clues.

The fire, which occurred at 15895 Highland Drive in McKenzie, caused a total loss of the building’s contents and structure. Preliminary estimates place the property loss at $193,800, with content losses valued at approximately $150,000. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

According to the incident report, a caller reported seeing flames on the roof of the restaurant around 11:43 p.m. on Tuesday. Upon arrival, the first responding unit observed fire coming from the HVAC unit on the roof. Firefighters attempted to extinguish the blaze from the roof but quickly determined that the fire had spread throughout the building.

“We observed smoke puffing from all the eaves of the structure and suspected the fire was widespread,” said Fire Chief Brian Tucker. “For safety reasons, the crew was ordered off the roof.”

Due to the intensity of the fire, firefighters decided it was too dangerous to enter the building for an interior attack. Crews established a water supply and deployed multiple attack lines while awaiting reinforcements from the Huntingdon Fire Department, Carroll County Fire Department, and Gleason Fire Department.

Once mutual aid units arrived, firefighters forced entry through the front door but were met with rapidly escalating conditions. Shortly after, the roof collapsed, forcing a shift in strategy.

“Huntingdon’s Ladder 1 set up a water supply and used aerial apparatus to attack the fire from above,” the report stated. Ground crews operated several hoses, using approximately 260,000 gallons of water to bring the blaze under control.

The fire was officially contained by 4:16 a.m. Wednesday morning, though crews returned to the site several times throughout the day to extinguish lingering hot spots.

The site was slated for redevelopment as a Taco Bell franchise, but the fire’s aftermath has left the property’s future uncertain. Further updates are expected as the investigation continues.