Fire Department

A fire inside a backyard sauna sent firefighters to the 200 block of Merry Street Tuesday morning. Brown smoke came from the eaves and around the door frame as Engine Company 3 advanced a hose line toward the structure. Although the sauna was locked, a neighbor was able to provide a key, allowing firefighters to get inside and apply a total of 400 gallons of water and foam in order to extinguish the fire.

The majority of heat damage occurred in the front half of the sauna where users enter it. When the owner arrived on scene, he stated the sauna was last used approximately 12 hours earlier. He believed a candle – the sauna’s only light source during the evening hours – may have started the fire. Firefighters noted that the burn patterns were consistent with this possibility.