PORT TOWNSEND — Recycling bundles stacked outside the Port Townsend Paper Corp. mill caught fire Thursday evening, an event that was determined as less serious than a similar fire in August 2012.
According to company President Roger Loney the origin has not been determined for the fire. which started around 6 p.m. among bales of paper and cardboard.
One employee who attempted to fight the fire himself suffered smoke inhalation and was treated on the scene, according to East Jefferson Fire-Rescue spokesperson Bill Beezley.
The fire was initially fought by the mill’s onsite fire team before engines from EJFR, Port Ludlow, Quilcene and Naval Magazine Indian Island arrived on the scene.
The blaze was contained in about 30 minutes, although flames occasionally shot up — which is the nature of such fires, according to Loney.
Beezley said Thursday evening that engines would be on the scene until the fire was fully contained, then would be monitored overnight by Port Townsend Paper personnel.
