PORT TOWNSEND — A fire quickly extinguished by the Port Townsend Paper Corp. fire brigade did minimal damage to the mill with no injuries, East Jefferson Fire Rescue said.
Mill officials reported a major fire to 9-1-1 dispatchers at 3:27 p.m. Thursday after a fire broke out on the ground floor of the Recovery Room, said Bill Beezley, East Jefferson Fire Rescue spokesman.
By the time fire units arrived at 3:35 p.m., the mill’s fire brigade had knocked down the blaze, he said.
Fire department investigators said the fire appeared to have started after a heated steam pipe running into the room ignited sawdust duff which had collected on the wall touching the pipe.
Firefighters said the fire had extended up the wall and into the second story, so they had both floors and the roof saturated with water. The facility didn’t appear to suffer significant damage from the fire, Beezley said.
Firefighters turned over the fire to mill officials at 4:44 p.m.
Units from Naval Magazine Indian Island, Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue and Discovery Bay Fire assisted in the call.
