FULLERTON – About 50 firefighters battled a fire that broke out this morning at a lounge inside the three-story historic Williams Building downtown, a fire official said.

The fire was reported around 10 a.m. at the Commonwealth Lounge and Grill, at 112 E. Commonwealth Ave., near Harbor Boulevard, after heavy smoke was seen billowing from the lounge, said Fullerton Fire Operations Chief Gary Dominguez.

Firefighters from Fullerton, Anaheim, Orange County Fire Authority and Brea helped douse the fire in 30 minutes, Dominguez said.

The lounge was closed when the fire broke out, but some employees who were inside at the time were uninjured.

The fire started in the bar area, causing extensive smoke and water damage estimated at $225,000, Dominguez said. The hardwood floors were ruined and the alcohol at the bar was a total loss, he said.

However, Dave George, the restaurant’s co-owner, and his business partner said they plan to reopen the restaurant Friday evening and believe that the damage is only around $5,000.

George, an Irvine resident, said “I was freaking out when I was driving down the freeway. I thought the whole place had burned down.”

When he arrived and found the damage was much less than he had feared, his reaction was “Thank God.”

George said the fire started from a faulty plug in an outlet behind the bar. A flat screen TV was partially melted.

The lounge’s decor is glamorous and edgy – oversized booths, dramatic chandeliers, brick walls, pressed-tin ceilings, comfy couches, low lounge seating and a glowing-back bar, according to the restaurant’s Web site.

An adjacent restaurant, Bourbon Street Bar & Grill, sustained smoke damage.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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