Fire Damages Backyard Sauna On East Dayton Street

The cause of a fire that damaged a backyard sauna on the east side is unknown.
 
A passerby called 911 to report what they thought was a “porch fire” on the 1900 block of East Dayton Street just after midnight Monday morning.
 
Firefighters arrived at 12:12 a.m. and found flames extending from the ground to the roof of an outdoor shed later identified by the owner as an outdoor sauna made from reclaimed wood.  
 
The sauna was approximately 50 feet from the street, and as firefighters extended their 200-foot hose line from Engine 3, one firefighter got a head start with a water extinguisher. It ultimately took about 375 gallons of water to put out the fire.
 
There were no signs of interior flames; it appeared the fire remained outside the structure. Madison Police assisted firefighters in searching for clues as to the fire’s origin.
 
The sauna contained an iron wood-burning stove, but the owner believes the ashes he discarded earlier that day would have been too cold to start a fire. The sauna hadn’t been used in a number of days. An electrical extension cord running into the sauna also appeared to be unaffected and was not believed to be the source of the fire. No incendiary devices were found, and no footprints were seen in the freshly-fallen snow.