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.