One person is dead and a portion of Nolensville Pike remains closed early Monday evening after a fire broke out in a bullet production shop south of Haywood Lane.
The fire started around 3:45 p.m. at 4813 Nolensville Pike Monday near Northcrest Drive. Nolensville Pike between Haywood Lane and Fairlane Drive was shut down because of the amount of fire equipment in the area.
Joaquin Toon, public information officer for the Nashville Fire Department, said the section of road would remain closed at least until 6:45 p.m. or so. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Firefighters pulled the badly burned body of the victim, who was declared dead at the scene, from the basement area of the two-story strip mall, which also houses a dentist’s office, tax preparer’s office and other small offices.
Firefighters reported hearing what sounded like fireworks going off en route to the building that houses Well Done Bullet, an ammunition shop.
Toon said the fire department has not been able to determine whether anyone else was injured in the fire.
The building suffered structural damage to the point where firefighters have been unable to complete their search for other victims.
A fire inspector and the Metro Police Bomb Squad were on the scene, but Toon said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would assume the investigation because of the presence of ammunition, which was apparently being reloaded in the basement of the building.