For many North Alabama residents, Fayetteville, Tennessee, is a nearby neighbor just across the state line — and this week its historic downtown square is facing a difficult rebuild after an early-morning Market Street fire destroyed multiple buildings, injured firefighters, and displaced residents.
The loss has prompted a broad regional response from emergency agencies and a coordinated community recovery effort led by downtown and Main Street partners.
The blaze broke out around 2 a.m. Sunday, February 8, on the south side of the Fayetteville square and grew into a four-alarm fire that spread across connected historic structures dating to the 1840s and early 1850s, according to reporting by the Elk Valley Times.
Fire Chief Davy Bergman said flames were already visible from one building when crews arrived, and the fire moved between buildings through concealed void spaces common in older construction.
Fayetteville firefighters were joined by mutual aid partners from Lincoln County Volunteer Fire Rescue, Tullahoma Fire Department, and Huntsville Fire Department. Police officers and sheriff’s deputies secured the scene, managed traffic, and assisted with on-site logistics as crews worked for roughly 10 hours to bring the fire under control.
The fire destroyed four buildings and five small businesses. An apartment was also affected, displacing residents. The city’s building inspector coordinated with the Red Cross to help secure temporary housing assistance for those impacted.
Despite the scale of the loss, fire officials said the coordinated response prevented the blaze from spreading further across the square and damaging additional structures.
Three Fayetteville firefighters were injured while battling the blaze. Officials reported one suffered a broken leg and other lower-extremity injuries, one experienced a respiratory issue, and another sustained a sprained wrist after slipping on ice. Medical staff at HH Lincoln Health treated the injured responders. Two were released, while one faces a longer recovery but was reported to be in good spirits.
City Administrator Kevin Owens said recovery and investigation efforts are now moving forward at the site, with the cause of the fire still under review. “Fayetteville is working on the recovery, rebuilding and healing from the aftermath of the Fayetteville Downtown Square fire,” Owens said. “There will be a lot of activities on site and around as we continue the fire investigation, then develop and implement plans to restore our downtown square.”
As smoke cleared downtown, local groups began channeling community concern into structured relief efforts. Posts compiled from Fayetteville Main Street’s Facebook updates show a coordinated campaign focused on direct, practical support for affected business owners and displaced individuals.
Organizers say the focus is on giving families and business owners flexibility and steady support as they work through the rebuilding process and next steps.
Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.
