Downtown Nashville was sealed off today, after a large explosion destroyed several buildings on Christmas morning in what appears to have been an “intentional act”, according to local police.

At a briefing late morning, the FBI announced that the agency, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, would lead the investigation into a blast that left three people with non-critical injuries.

Authorities said they had received a phone call warning that a parked recreational vehicle (RV) was set to explode in 15 minutes. The RV itself began broadcasting an apparently recorded repeating message for anyone nearby to stand away.

As Nashville police officers cleared the area of ​​residents, the vehicle exploded, causing structural damage to several buildings, knocking down trees, and smashing windows for hundreds of yards.

“We had one officer that was knocked to the ground… and we are currently sweeping the area to make sure everyone is safe,” said a Nashville police spokesman, Don Aaron.

Aaron said police are not aware of other threats to public, but bomb dogs swept the area as a precaution. Authorities could not say if anyone was in the vehicle when it exploded.