10/17/2026
DeKalb County Fire Department was dispatched to a commercial structure fire on Sparta Highway at Center Hill Sports Marine Friday evening at 6:04 p.m.
DeKalb 911 received multiple reports from passing motorists of heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof of the business. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire throughout the building with threatened exposures to other nearby building that contained new vessel inventory. Fire crews successfully contained the blaze and protected the exposures that included several new pontoon boats. Firefighters remained on the scene for nearly 6 hours performing firefighting and salvage and overhaul operations.
The main building and shop located in the rear, including all contents, were complete losses. A pickup truck parked outside at the rear of the business was also a complete loss. The business was closed at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported.
While the final determination of origin of the fire is still pending, the preliminary finding is that the fire started from a pickup truck parked outside at the rear of the building.
DeKalb County Fire Department’s Johnson’s Chapel, Midway, Four Seasons, Cookeville Highway, Main stations, and county-wide personnel responded to the scene, along with mutual aid assistance from White County’s Cassville and Central View fire departments.
Other agencies assisting on the scene were DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Emergency Medical Services, DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency, Caney Fork Electric Cooperative, and Middle Tennessee Natural Gas.
