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Georgia Street bar reopens after fire

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A popular downtown bar is reopened after having to shut down after a fire broke out there early Sunday morning.

Management of The Pub are actually breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn’t worse.

“It was really scary because you’re not used to seeing something like that,” said Carlos Harrington, the manager of The Pub on Georgia Street. “That flame came up so fast. You’ve seen little fires where you drive by little brushes. This was like full force, you could hear it. So that’s what made it really scary.”

They were able to reopen Sunday in time for the Colts game. Indianapolis Fire Department was called to the bar just before 1 am. The fire started in a grate in front of the patio.

“We believe that maybe somebody dropped a cigarette down in that area and there might have been some dry leaves or plywood sitting inside that void space,” said Rita Reith, the spokeswoman for IFD.

Forty people were in the bar at the time and 100 apartments above the bar had to be evacuated.

“I walked upstairs and the doors were shut. All the doors were shutting because obviously the fire,” said Paul Frazer who lives in the Harness Factory Lofts apartments.

The Pub’s kitchen is in the basement and the fire caused some damage to it. Cleaning crews walked out of the basement covered in soot.

The building wasn’t compromised, but the front window was busted out by the force of the water hoses. and the windowpane is charred. There’s also a persistent smoke smell.

“That smell is going to be there for a while so we’re going to constantly keep cleaning everyday, you know,” said Harrington.

No one was seriously hurt.

IFD said damages are estimated at $50,000.