The blaze broke out around 3 a.m. at Backyard, a bar on Southwest Third Avenue, and extended into the neighboring Poorhouse bar, fire officials said. Flames originated near a stage at the rear of Backyard before reaching the adjacent structure.

Dozens of firefighters responded and brought the fire under control in roughly 30 minutes, Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan said.

Gollan said Backyard was unoccupied at the time, but the business just to its south had people inside. Crews were able to get everyone out quickly, he said.

"There was some extension into that neighboring business, but thankfully there were no civilians that were injured," Gollan said. "We were able to get everybody out in a timely manner."

Witness Laura Colaner said the smoke was visible and smelled from blocks away. "It's like billowing smoke. You could smell the smoke all the way over from Andrews Avenue," she said. Colaner added that she drove toward the scene out of concern for people she knew in the area. "It was quite a fire. I didn't believe it. As a matter of fact, no one believed it," she said.

Authorities have not released a cause, and the investigation is ongoing. The two bars sit in a busy stretch of downtown Fort Lauderdale's nightlife district, where a fire at a single venue can quickly threaten neighboring businesses and the people inside them. The quick containment Monday morning prevented what could have been a far worse outcome for a block that draws crowds late into the night.