NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No guests were injured after a fire broke out at a restaurant at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center early Wednesday afternoon.
Assistant Chief of the Nashville Fire Department, Walter Demonbreun Jr., told News 2 the fire began in the kitchen at the Old Hickory Steakhouse and spread to the vents and onto the hotel’s roof.
When firefighters arrived, it was worse than what they expected.
“They did think they had it confined to the kitchen area, but outside a different story. Heavy smoke and it progressed to the roof,” explained Capt. Demonbreun.
One firefighter was treated on the scene due to heat, and hundreds of people were evacuated as a precaution. It was not immediately clear when they could return to the hotel.
Officials are assessing the fire damage, but they told News 2 it appeared to be significant.
The Opryland Hotel offers more than a dozen restaurants, indoor gardens with waterfalls, multiple ballrooms and ample meeting space.
The hotel is located at 2800 Opryland Drive. During the historic May flood in 2010, the hotel suffered millions of dollars in damages and was closed for six months. It reopened in November 2010.
