Suitsusaunade põlengutest ja nende ärahoidmisest

Abstract

There are relatively few smoke saunas in Estonia today. Most are located in the south-eastern parts of the country: Old Võromaa and Setomaa. Unfortunately, skills and knowledge of fire safety in connection with smoke saunas are no longer as widespread as they used to be. As the smoke sauna tradition of the Võromaa people has been presented as a candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage List, the use and construction of smoke saunas has intensified and the protection of the smoke sauna heritage has become particularly topical.

The authors provide an overview of the main reasons smoke saunas catch fire and outline the construction and utilisation methods that help prevent fires. In order to do so, it is recommended to keep the wood and stove as far as possible from each other and to make sure that there is nothing else that a fire can ‘latch onto’. It is also good to surround the stove with a structure made of fireproof material. The rocks in the stove must also be periodically re-stacked. Smoke saunas must be kept clean and users must make sure that the flames do not rise up through the rocks in the stove. It is good if the sauna is always heated by the same person: someone who knows its properties and how to heat it.