Camden loses historic building to fire

CAMDEN, Tenn. — Camden residents are mourning the loss of a historic Court Square building that once housed the Berry Clinic.

While the Monday morning fire was contained to the clinic’s building, officials say it has impacted other nearby businesses.

“The impact of the smoke is affecting other businesses around the Court Square. We have shut down the courthouse for today,” Benton County Mayor Brett Lashlee said.

“They’re older buildings. The mortar joints are brittle, so they could have some smoke seeping through like we have,” said Keith Arnold, who owns the realty office next door to the Berry Clinic. “Water damage we’re not sure of yet. We’re not able to get in and go upstairs and check all those areas.”

He says there is smoke damage to that office, and there’s no telling how much the damage will cost for repairs.

“It would be hard to estimate it,” Arnold said. “It’s going to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Berry Clinic because they have remodeled their building in the past.”

Multiple fire crews worked together to extinguish the flames.

“Our initial size-up investigation on it to see if we can figure out real quick, if not we’ll have to call somebody in, or the insurance company will,” said Richard Kee of the Benton County EMA.

Officials say the fire started around 5 a.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation.