Saunais deeply embedded in the Finnish culture, the Hakunila fire, however,highlights the importance of the maintenance and safe use of electric sauna heaters

“The Hakunila fire took place at an apartment on the first floor: there would thus have been opportunities to escape. There was a large corner sofa in front of the balcony door, which made it difficult to use the balcony as an emergency exit. The apartment had working fire alarms that went off, but for some reason the family’s mother did not understand the danger and the need for immediate exit indicated by the alarm sound and visible smoke,” says Timo Naskali, Investigator in Charge.

“Many electric sauna heaters are easy to switch on. There are no child safety locks or other safety features that would prevent unintentional use. The sauna heater may not clearly indicate that it is switched on or that the heater timing is activated. The sauna heater was unintentionally timed to switch on at night. After switching on, the sauna heater became abnormally hot, and the panel wall behind the heater got so hot that it lit up. This was made possible by the deterioration of the air circulation that cools the heater, as a result of the long-term use of the sauna stones. The safety of electric saunas is largely based on the user’s own activities, and the “user interface” does not sufficiently support safe use of the heater,” adds Naskali.

The sauna stones had not been rearranged or replaced in years. There are no functional practices for the maintenance or replacement of sauna stones, even though they are essential for the safe use of electric sauna heaters.

The Safety Investigation Authority has previously investigated a sauna fire in Vuosaari in 2016, when four people died in the fire – mother and three small children. The fire originated from an electric heater that had been unintentionally switched on with a timer. The heater had started warming up at night about an hour before the fire started. It was a sixth-floor apartment without a fire alarm. After the Vuosaari fire, the Safety Investigation Authority recommended adding safety features, such as child safety locks, to sauna heaters. The recommendation has been implemented only partially.

The investigation also highlighted the safety of immigrants’ everyday life and housing.

"We must be careful not to generalise. The family’s mother had come to Finland through family reunification. The integration measures had not reached the mother fully, or at least there had been a delay. Initiation of immigrants who have entered the country through family reunification may be largely the responsibility of a family member who has come to Finland earlier. Even if an immigrant has lived in Finland for a long time, everyday and housing safety practices may remain unfamiliar to them,” says Naskali.

Before the accident, a new Integration Act was adopted in spring 2023, which entered into force on 1 January 2025, i.e. after the accident. According to the Government proposal, particularly the reaching of parents caring for children at home and their participation in integration services must be increased, in order to better support the inclusion and employment of immigrant women and the integration of the entire family.

The safety investigation also examines the activities of the authorities.

The accident occurred in an area where shortcomings had been identified in the operational readiness of rescue services. Corrective measures had been initiated, but not all measures had been taken. In an area with significant new construction, improving the operational readiness of rescue services to respond to increased risks requires new resources and, for example, the construction of new fire stations, which is slow.

Several emergency calls were made about the fire. The Emergency Response Centre Agency made the first alerts quickly. However, it was difficult to get an overall picture of the situation. The Emergency Response Centre Agency and emergency medical care initially had an incomplete picture of the number of people exposed, which delayed the calling of a sufficient number of ambulances to the scene.

As general safety observations, the Safety Investigation Authority continues to highlight the importance of regular maintenance of sauna heaters. The Safety Investigation Authority already stated in the intermediate report that, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, the sauna stones should typically be replaced once a year, in order for the air to circulate through the heater and to avoid excessive heating. At the same time, the condition of the heater and its surroundings should be checked.

Link to summary and investigation report

Inquiries:

Timo Naskali, Investigator in Charge, tel. +358 (0)2951 50740