Ten-story treehouses destroyed by fire

In this June 4, 2007 file photo a treehouse built by Horace Burgess is shown in Crossville, Tenn. One of the tallest treehouses in the world has burned down in Tennessee. News outlets report the 97-foot tall, 10-story treehouse caught fire and quickly burned down Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019 in Crossville. No injuries were reported. (Jae S. Lee/The Tennessean via AP, file)

CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - One of the tallest treehouses in the world has burned down in Tennessee.

News outlets report the 97-foot (29.5-meter) tall, 10-story treehouse caught fire and quickly burned down Tuesday night in Crossville. No injuries were reported.

Cumberland County Fire/Rescue officials say the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The treehouse was built by Horace Burgess, an architect-turned-minister. He told news outlets that God commanded him to build the sprawling treehouse as a means of ministry.

It took him about 19 years to build it with salvaged wood scraps and recycled metal. The structure spanned across several trees and was a tourist destination until the fire marshal deemed it a public safety hazard.

News outlets say the treehouse has been vacant since 2012 and was frequented by vandals.