A Sunday morning fire at the Harding Glen Condos off Harding Place in South Nashville has displaced at least six families, leaving residents without a place to stay even though they had just paid that month's rent. The blaze started in an upstairs apartment before firefighters brought the flames under control, but tenants say the damage left behind — water pooling in closets, dining rooms and hallways — has made their homes unlivable.
According to WSMV, residents rushed out of the building as the fire broke out, with one resident saying they took their children outside after spotting smoke from their porch. Another resident described a neighbor who ran into the street with her two children while searching for her pets amid the chaos. Water damage reached one resident's closets and dining room, ruining clothes stored inside, and tenants say they still do not know whether their units have an underlying gas or electrical problem.
Water Damage Complicates Residents’ Return
Some tenants said they worry about their units’ proximity to an air conditioner and fear another fire involving water and electrical components. Others raised concerns about lingering humidity and their children’s health. Residents said they want the water cleaned up so they can assess whether it is safe to return.
For one mother, the stakes are especially high. She told the outlet her son has cerebral palsy and trouble breathing, and that she can't bring herself to sleep in the apartment until she knows for certain it's safe. She said she won't go to a hospital because of the overall situation, and that management has offered no solution for her family.
Cause Investigation Leaves Next Steps Unclear
One of the property managers told WSMV that management is waiting for the fire investigation results before deciding what to do next. The Nashville Fire Department is investigating, and the cause had not been determined as of the report. Residents said management told them someone would come the morning after the fire, but no one had shown up by the time they spoke with the station.
Tenants said they asked management to return the rent they had just paid so they could look for another place to live, a search they described as expensive and uncertain. Residents did not know exactly how many units or families were affected; one estimated about six. One resident also recalled an earlier fire elsewhere on the street at the complex, roughly one to two years ago, and said only the immediate area where it started was closed off.
Earlier Fires at Harding Glen
Earlier reports describe multiple fires at Harding Glen. A November 2023 WSMV report described that blaze as the second fire at the complex in 21 months and said Nashville Fire Department officials attributed an earlier February 2021 fire to electrical issues. The Tennessean reported that the building was vacant during the November 2023 fire because of a fire there the previous year.
A separate February 2022 fire displaced about 70 people, according to WSMV; the Tennessean reported 71 people were displaced. Building E sustained fire, water and smoke damage. The Tennessean also reported that the American Red Cross set up a temporary shelter and provided resources at the time. It is not known whether similar assistance has been arranged for the families displaced this week.
What Earlier Reports Establish—and What Remains Unknown
The available reporting provides a partial timeline, not a complete set of fire-department records. WSMV reported that a separate fire at Harding Glen on Feb. 27, 2022, displaced about 70 people after Building E sustained fire, water and smoke damage. The cause of Sunday’s fire remains undetermined while the Nashville Fire Department investigates. For residents seeking support, the American Red Cross Nashville Area lists 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) as a 24-hour contact number. Its page does not establish that assistance has been arranged for Harding Glen residents.
For now, the families affected by Sunday's fire say they're depending on property managers to help them find a safe place to stay as colder weather sets in, with no timeline yet for when — or whether — they'll be able to return home.
