POULSBO — All animals are safe following a dryer fire at an animal clinic in Poulsbo.

Poulsbo Fire Department, North Kitsap Fire and Rescue and Bainbridge Island Fire Department responded to the fire about noon Dec. 1 at Companion Animal Wellness Center Veterinary Hospital on Lemolo Shore Drive.

“The quick alert of the fire alarm got the fire department’s attention,” said Katherine Murphy, owner of the center.

When crews arrived on scene, there was smoke coming from the east side of the building. Before calling 911, Murphy discovered a fire coming from the laundry room area.

A dryer was destroyed in the fire. — Image credit: Jody Matson / Poulsbo Fire Department

“I heard the smoke alarm first. Then I grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed it on the dryer area, where the majority of the smoke was coming from,” Murphy said. “Unfortunately, I soon realized it was out of control.”

The fire had begun working its way into the walls by the time the fire department arrived. Firefighters quickly extinguished the remaining fire.

Dr. Lisa Newnham and her medical assistant were finishing up a dental procedure on a small dog named Chaplain when they heard the alarm.

“The alarm sounded before we even saw, or smelled, any smoke,” Newnham said.

The two ladies moved Chaplain, who was still under sedation, from the operating room to the back of the firefighter’s warm medic unit. All animals have been accounted for. There was minimal damage to the building.

A small dog named Chaplain was under sedation for a dental procedure when the fire began. — Image credit: Pete O’Cain / Herald