The historic Ocoee Whitewater Center was destroyed in a fire Tuesday morning. Polk County firefighters and multiple other agencies responded to the blaze and were able to get it under control, but the building was a complete loss. The U.S. Forest Service reports that no one was injured in the fire. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the cause of the fire. No one is allowed on site until their investigation is complete.
The Ocoee Whitewater Center opened to serve as a venue for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. It hosted the Canoe and Kayak Slalom. It is a key recreation site on the forest and hosts about 300,000 visitors a year. 
(USDA Forest Service photo of the Ocoee Whitewater Center by Mary Miller.)