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A fire broke out Wednesday morning at the Capitol Lounge, a popular hangout for congressional staff, causing significant damage to the building that was newly remodeled after a 2005 fire. Fire Department officials received reports of a fire at the lounge, located at 229 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, shortly after 5 a.m. D.C. Battalion Fire Chief Ken Crosswhite said the fire spread into the adjoining buildings, causing smoke and water damage before it was contained at 6:25 a.m. No one was in the building at the time of the fire. There were no injuries reported. The bar sustained major damage in August 2005 when a lit cigarette was suspected of causing a fire that virtually gutted the building. Al Shuman, co-owner of the adjoining Trover Card Shop, said Wednesday’s fire caused more damage than the blaze nearly two years ago. Shuman said he is not worried about the Lounge’s bad luck streak. “I don’t think I need to be afraid to be next to them,” he said. Shuman added that he is not sure how much repairing the fire damage will cost or when he will reopen. The cause of the three-alarm fire is still under investigation. |
