Honolulu police have opened a first-degree arson investigation in connection with an early-morning storage room fire at the Irish Rose Saloon.

The blaze caused fire and smoke damage to the Waikiki pub, 478 'Ena Road.

Three people — the saloon's manager, an employee of a nearby bar and a security guard from a nearby condominium building — were taken to Straub Medical Center and released after being treated for smoke inhalation. The three tried to control the blaze inside the pub with fire extinguishers until firefighters arrived, witnesses said.

The fire caused $3,000 worth of damage to the saloon, according to the Honolulu Fire Department. Fire investigators labeled the fire "suspicious" and are assisting HPD's arson investigation.

"They'll determine the intention, but there is a suspicious origin," said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry D. Seelig.

The fire started around 2:20 a.m. and was out within 10 minutes after the arrival of firefighters.

No patrons were inside at the time.

Princeton Kanae, who said he is a security guard at a nearby building, said the first person to attack the fire was an employee from a nearby bar.

"The guy from the Hideaway was the first one in there, and he really kept it from spreading," Kanae said.

Porter Miller, a musician whose band Elephant played at the saloon Sunday night, said he and the band's drummer had just finished packing their equipment when a waitress noticed smoke coming from the wall behind the stage.

"By the time we got outside and to the side of the building, it was flaming up pretty bad," he said.

"There was one guy (from the Hideaway) and (bar manager) Patrick (Mcgail) in there for a ridiculous amount of time using those chemical extinguishers to fight it until firefighters got here. The security guard from another building brought over some more extinguishers," Miller said. "Patrick and the other guy must have been in there 10 to 15 minutes."

Miller said Mcgail and the other two men went through eight chemical extinguishers.

Kanae said that inside, the trio thought the fire had been extinguished a few times, "but it kept flaring up."

Miller said he couldn't believe the three men remained inside as long as they did.

"At one point, the flames were shooting up and they were going to throw another extinguisher up (to the second floor) to Mcgail, but our drummer climbed up and got it to them," Miller said.

"What went through my mind right away was that 'I'm not going in there.' It was bad."

Reach Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com and Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.