How do I treat a patient on fire?

First put out the fire by hand or with a fire extinguisher, which ends the timed part. Then bring them the Ointment item for the burns. Photograph them only after helping, since taking the photo before Ointment ruins it.

Can a patient on fire be an Anomaly?

Yes. Patients on fire can still be Anomalies, so you must check them — but take the photo after you apply Ointment, not before.

How much does a room fire hurt?

Room fires deal 1 Sanity per second while you stand in the flames, and they can harm patients who walk into a burning room. Put fires out by holding E or, more effectively, with a fire extinguisher.

Fire & Burns Guide (Patient on Fire & Room Fires)

Fire shows up in Animal Hospital in two forms: a patient on fire (a timed emergency) and a room fire (an event). Both are about acting quickly and protecting Sanity, and the patient-on-fire case has a clever twist around Anomaly detection you need to know.

Patient on fire (emergency)

Sometimes a patient runs into the hospital on fire. This is a timed emergency with a specific sequence:

Put out the fire — by hand or, faster, with a fire extinguisher. This ends the timed portion of the emergency.
Apply Ointment — once the fire is out, bring them the Ointment item to treat the burns.

The Anomaly twist

Here is the catch: patients on fire can still be Anomalies. You must still verify them — but the timing of the photo matters. Take their photo after you help them with Ointment, not before, because photographing them before the Ointment treatment ruins the photo. So the order is: extinguish, apply Ointment, then run your detection check including the photo. Skipping the verification because they were on fire is exactly how a Skinwalker sneaks in.

Room fire (event)

Rooms can also randomly catch fire. Unlike the patient-on-fire emergency, a room fire has no time limit, but it is still dangerous:

It deals 1 Sanity damage per second while you stand in the flames.
It can harm patients who walk into the burning room — including fainting patients who wander in.

To put out a room fire:

Hold E on the burning spaces, or
Use a fire extinguisher for a faster, more effective result.

Because room fires can hurt fainting patients, deal with them before an unconscious patient stumbles into the flames.

Why the fire extinguisher is worth it

Both fire types are handled faster with a fire extinguisher than by hand. Holding E to put out flames works, but it is slow and, for room fires, keeps you standing in Sanity-draining flames longer. Picking up and using a fire extinguisher minimizes both your time exposed and your Sanity loss. Treat it as a priority tool whenever fire is on the board.

Fire during the Ambulance rush

Fire becomes especially common during the Ambulance event after shift 4, when multiple patients can rush in on fire at once. This is where preparation pays off: know where the fire extinguisher is, keep coffee in reserve for the Sanity hits, and triage the burning patients first since they are timed. In co-op, assign a player to fire duty so the rush does not overwhelm the team.

Keep your verification discipline

The biggest fire mistake is letting the drama override your routine. Whether it is a single patient on fire or an Ambulance full of them, the rule holds: put out the fire, apply Ointment, then verify with a photo. Fire is loud and stressful by design, but the Anomalies hiding among the burn victims are counting on you to forget the check. For the other timed threats, see the Death Ritual guide and the Events hub.