How did the fire start?

Our best guess is that it began with the wood on the exterior of the sauna above the stove. We had recently switched that sauna to a propane stove. The construction portion wrapped about six weeks ago, and we’d been using the cabin regularly—but we were having trouble getting it hot enough. It kept hovering around 160°F when our goal was 180°F.

The stove manufacturer arranged for a custom propane burner that boosted us from 75,000 BTU to 90,000 BTU. We installed it on Wednesday, 11/19. And wow, it worked. During our first test, the temperature climbed to 220°F. Once we realized how quickly it could heat, we adjusted our operations and were careful to shut it off as needed.

The stove was controlled by a simple 60-minute millivolt timer. You turn the dial, it counts down, and it shuts off automatically at zero—or at least, it’s supposed to. Our suspicion is that on Sunday evening, the timer didn’t turn off, and the stove just… kept going. We don’t know how hot it ultimately got.

Is anyone at fault?

Short answer: no.

It has never been our procedure to keep an employee on-site until a stove is fully cold. With wood-fired saunas, the fire simply burns out. Our electric sauna has turned itself off reliably every 16 hours for years. And this propane sauna had been operating for six weeks without issue, always shutting off at night. The idea that it wouldn’t turn off genuinely never crossed our minds.

Could we try to blame the stove manufacturer, the propane company that installed the timer, or the timer company itself? Maybe—but would that actually help? We’re hopeful our business insurance will cover the loss, but we don’t know yet.

Will you rebuild the cabin sauna right away?

We’re not sure. The timing is challenging—we were just about to sign the lease on our next property, something we’ve been working toward for three months. It’s possible the smartest move is to rebuild the cabin sauna at the new location with the same design, same layout, same love.

For now, we’re giving ourselves space to make a thoughtful decision rather than rushing into anything.

How long will the rebuild take?

Also unclear (notice a theme here?). The interior renovation alone took about two months. Rebuilding an entire structure will likely take three to four months. Once we have the funds in place and a clear location for the build, we’ll get started.

How can we help?

If you'd like to support us, here are a few meaningful ways:

• A GoFundMe has been started — the link is in our bio.

• We’re running a sale on Spa Packs and e-Gift Cards December 1–26.

• Kind words and cookies are always welcome (seriously).

• When we begin cleanup and rebuilding, we’ll gratefully accept volunteers.