POULSBO — Less than 24 hours after Mitzel’s restaurant burned to the ground Tuesday morning, attorney Charles Peach’s office was almost lost as well.

However, a quick response from the Poulsbo Fire Department stopped the blaze before it entered the building’s rafters and engulfed the entire structure.

“We were coming back from another call when we got this one, and we were able to put it out pretty quickly,” said PFD Chief Jim Shields.

The fire apparently started on the front porch and burned the entire stoop before spreading to the building’s exterior, Shields said, noting that firefighters entered the building through the front door and were able to extinguish the blaze before it got any further.

“The building’s interior is fine except for a little smoke damage and all of the records are safe,” he said.

As of Thursday morning the exact cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The fire is not related to the Mitzel’s blaze, Shields said.

Poulsbo Police Sgt. Bill Playter said the fire is also not related to a vehicle fire, which was handled by the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Department at around the same time Wednesday morning.

For Peach, the fire was an unpleasant surprise and has impacted his ability to serve his clients.

“It’s surreal to pull into your office Wednesday morning and see that,” Peach said. “I loved being there.”

Because the power and phone lines to his offices have been disconnected, Peach said he will be unable to work on any of his cases until he finds a temporary location while the building is being repaired.

“I’m looking into the possibility of moving into the gun shop, but I’m not sure right now,” he said, alluding to Vancura’s Gunworks at the intersection of Hostmark Street and State Route 305.

Since the damage is all cosmetic, Peach said it’s only a minor setback in a law career that now extends past the 20-year mark.

“I’ve been at it too long, and I know I can shake, rattle and roll,” Peach said. “I think another five or 10 minutes and it all would have been gone.”