TBI investigating fire at historic building-turned-restaurant

OBION, Tenn. (WMC) - Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into a fire at a historic building in Northwest Tennessee.

The fire, which broke out early Monday, destroyed a restaurant housed in one of the town’s oldest buildings.

Obion Fire Department said just after 2 a.m. Monday it responded to the Willow Tree Restaurant at 128 E. Palestine Ave. Firefighters found the building engulfed in flames.

Historic building-turned restaurant destroyed in fire(Hornbeak Fire Department)

TBI says a white car was spotted leaving the area just before the fire. Agents are looking to speak to the driver.

Twenty-two firefighters battled the blaze, and it took about four hours to bring the fire under control, the department said. Nearby departments from Hornbeak, Troy, Rives, Kenton and Union City assisted.

Two 18-wheelers and an adjacent building suffered smoke and fire damage, officials said.

According to the restaurant’s website, the building was constructed in 1848. The Willow Tree Restaurant opened in 2022 and displayed some of Obion’s historical items inside.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. If you know anything that can assist law enforcement, call 1-800-TBI-FIND.