NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Around 8 a.m. Sunday morning, a fire started on the 27th floor of the 505 on Church Street. Officials say the fire was caused by a wicker basket which caught fire on top of a stove. Water from the sprinkler system then flowed down to the floors below and caused an electrical fire on the 24th floor.
Curtiss Fazilat and his wife live on the 29th floor.
"Then finally I guess around 10:30 or so we got a text to say there was a fire and to please evacuate," he said.
Fazilat said it wasn't until firefighters knocked on his door at noon that he realized the situation was serious.
"They said 'hey we are evacuating the building so we need you to leave'," he said.
Buck McCoy lives on the 14th floor.
"Here I am again," he joked.
McCoy is no stranger to evacuations.
"I immediately grabbed - and I learned this from my 2nd Avenue - my backpack with everything that I would need to leave the apartment just in a moment's notice."
McCoy moved into the 505 after his 2nd Avenue apartment was destroyed in the Christmas Day bombing.
"You know when you have these events there's so many things that happen, you're not sure how to get people down, how to make sure the elevators are working, how to get other people," said McCoy. "Yeah, I think there's a lot of things they're going to learn from this."
Construction safety consultant Ruth Cante said it's a lesson in the importance of an evacuation plan. "So if you are thinking or actually already living in a building, please make sure that you're familiar with these procedures," she said.
She said it's also a reminder about some simple safety tips. "Do not leave a stove or a flame unattended," said Cante, who is President & CEO of C&F Company. "Additionally, ensure that you do not leave oven mitts, wooden utensils, towels or any type of flammable items on top of the stove."
Residents living below the 30th floor have been able to grab things, but are not allowed to stay in their apartments. No word yet on when that will change.
