Update, 6:10 p.m.: Firefighters just left the scene of the fire, almost 11 hours after it was called in, according to Assistant Fire Chief Michael Rios.
Franklin Street will remain closed between First and Second Streets so that firefighters can continue checking overnight for any issues. The sidewalks are open. Franklin will reopen to vehicle traffic in the morning.
The restaurant has smoke and severe water damage, Rios said. The sprinkler system was on for the duration of the incident, and with three hoses shooting water into the building from a hole in the roof, there was a waterfall going down the stairway from the Taproom, and about 2 feet of water in the basement.
The 911 call came in at about 7:30 a.m. Rios said the Clarksville Fire Rescue response included Tower 1, Ladder 3, Engine 1, Engine 4 and Ladder 12, along with about 50 firefighters and EMS responders, many brought in from off-duty. Many others were on standby.
“The most important thing is that nobody was hurt,” Jeff and Sherri Robinson said in a Facebook post. “We appreciate the huge efforts of CFR. They did all they could do for hours. Nobody could have asked for any more from them.”
Update, 3:30 p.m.: Firefighters are checking the inside of the building for hot spots, and smoke has stopped coming from the building.
The fire was classified as under control at 12:03 p.m., according to Assistant Fire Chief Michael Rios.
Streets downtown remain closed.
Rios said the emergency responders had seen a great outpouring of support all morning, including from the American Red Cross and from Mission BBQ and Strawberry Ale Works, both of whom provided meals.
Blackhorse owners said the restaurant will be closed until further notice.
Update, 11:05 a.m.: A GoFundMe has been set up to support the 100-some employees of Blackhorse Pub & Brewery who will be without work as the restaurant recovers from the fire.
“There are over 100 employees that will now be without work, and this is on top of the loss of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are a family in Historic Downtown Clarksville and family supports family,” said Ryan Bowie of the Roxy Regional Theatre, who organized the Blackhorse Employee Fund.
Update, 10:30 a.m.: Firefighters have made a hole in the roof and are spraying water into the building.
They will then enter to check for any remaining fires, according to Assistant Chief Michael Rios.
Update, 9:40 a.m.: Police have blocked off Franklin Street from First to Third, and have blocked off Second Street from Commerce to Legion, to keep the area free of passersby.
Drivers and pedestrians should avoid the area during the emergency response.
Update, 8:50 a.m.: The fire started in the back of a six-top stove, according to Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention Jobe Moore.
Flames shot up, and the kitchen’s automatic suppression system turned on. Kitchen workers tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher but were unable to, and they evacuated.
Firefighters said the flames may have been pulled up into the kitchens’ smoke exhaust system, and there were witness reports of flames seen coming from those pipes on the rooftop.
“I can’t believe it’s real,” said Sherri Robinson, co-owner of the Blackhorse with her husband, Jeff.
She stood at the corner across the street with tears in her eyes, watching white smoke billow from the seams in the building’s roof.
“The Pub is the one constant in our lives. It’s weathered so many storms,” she said.
That includes the Jan. 22, 1999, tornado that devastated downtown. The Blackhorse was the first business to rebuild and reopen, inspiring other businesses to do the same.
“We’re coming up on the one-year anniversary of the shutdown from COVID, and I felt like we’d rounded a corner and survived that …”
Previously:
CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A fire broke out at Blackhorse Pub & Brewery Wednesday morning downtown. Clarksville Fire and Rescue are on the scene.
According to Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention Jobe Moore, the fire started in kitchen.
Staff were unable to control the fire, though the kitchen’s fire suppression system did activate.
All four staff members that were on site at the time of the fire evacuated the building, and there were no injuries.
Firefighters are still assessing the damage but, Moore said the Blackhorse has, at minimum suffered smoke damage.
This story will be updated.
Casey Williams contributed to this report.