Apartment fire burns long-standing Paul’s Cocktails in Old Towne Orange

 Paul’s Cocktails has temporarily closed after a residential unit above the business caught fire, injuring one individual. Photos by JAKE NEEDHAM, Staff Photographer

Joshua Kazarian, a senior at the University of California, Berkeley, was enjoying a meal with friends Nov. 27 when he saw a plume of smoke rising from a building across the street: a two-story structure home to Paul’s Cocktails, a popular bar in Old Towne Orange. 

At first, Kazarian and his friends thought the white vapor was steam from a grill, but as the plume blackened and grew in size, it became clear to them the fire was not controlled.

“Once I asked the people around me to confirm that nobody was in the building, I thought the best thing I (could) do was to document (the fire),” Kazarian told The Panther. 

His video of the incident shows flames coming from a second floor window in a residential space above the bar. A wooden balcony at the back of the structure also caught fire as Kazarian approached it.

Early in the video, a bystander in a security shirt attempts to hold off the fire from outside with a garden hose. Another individual directs someone offscreen to shut off the power. Seconds later, Kazarian joins another bystander in pointing out embers igniting more flames on the ground and a small awning above the balcony.

By 12:55 p.m., the Orange City Fire Department had responded to multiple calls about the fire. According to an official press release, 25 personnel arrived on site, including crew from Anaheim Fire and Rescue and the Orange Police Department. 

Videos show at least seven emergency vehicles — including fire trucks, ambulances and patrol cars — at the scene. Some vehicles blocked off parts of Chapman Avenue and North Olive Street as firefighters rushed to put out the blaze. 

“Even (with) walking traffic, they shut down a couple pathways (and) wouldn’t let you walk a certain (direction),” Kazarian said.

The fire was extinguished within about 20 minutes. The fire department reported one crew used chainsaws to cut a hole in the building’s roof, venting out smoke and heat from the building. Other firefighters worked to shut off utilities and overhaul the structure, while two crews contained and eventually put the fire out. 

One individual sustained minor injuries but refused medical treatment, the fire department reported. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, and Paul’s Cocktails remains closed until further notice.

A GoFundMe page in response to the fire damages appears to confirm an employee of Paul’s Cocktails lived in the space above the bar and had attempted to extinguish it. The page urges users to help support the employee, alongside his fellow workers at Paul’s Cocktails, by contributing to the fundraiser. 

“Know that Paul’s will come back stronger than ever,” read the donation page.

A Facebook post by Michael Schmidt, the owner of Paul’s Cocktails, states the fire was contained to the second floor, but he emphasized 18 employees were still affected by the incident.

“Please don’t feel obligated to donate your hard earned money to this (GoFundMe page),” the post continued. “If (you) do want to be a part of it … all of the proceeds will go to my employees.”

An outpouring of comments shared their support for Schmidt and his business, with many former patrons noting the fond memories they had made at the locally celebrated bar. 

This is a developing story. Follow The Panther on social media and at www.thepanthernewspaper.org for updates.