Why bathhouses catch fire: causes of fires that every resident of Mendeleevsk should know about

      The ONDiPR for the Mendeleyevsky District reminds residents of the main causes of fires in bathhouses and how to avoid them.

      You cannot protect against a fire in a bathhouse 100%. Even the most correctly built, carefully maintained and repeatedly treated bathhouse can bring an unpleasant surprise. However, you can reduce the likelihood of ignition to a minimum.

      Main causes of fires:

      Chimney. If you cleaned the chimney at the end of the season and protected it from water penetration, you can be calm. Otherwise, check everything in advance. Some fires occur because air cannot pass through the chimney pipes. The reason is their contamination or water frozen inside. Fires also happen because of improper installation. It is unacceptable to brace a pipe with wooden blocks for stability and seal the gaps around it with mounting foam. This can lead to ignition of the wood around a hot chimney. Sometimes manufacturers of pipes themselves are guilty of not specifying the maximum temperature of the gases passing through. This is an important parameter for installation calculations. To install a chimney pipe correctly, be sure to clarify this parameter.

      Finishes and insulation. Homeowners often make the situation worse by choosing unsafe finishing materials. For example, insulating a steam room with foil increases the likelihood of fire several times.

      Materials that are resistant to or not susceptible to ignition are more suitable for a bathhouse. For example, asbestos-cement, felt with clay, or red brick. Using these materials you can insulate the stove from flammable wooden surfaces.

      Stove. Bathhouses most often burn because of incorrect installation and operation of the stove. The first point to consider is the settling of the structure. It is better to install the stove after the material has taken a stable shape — which is 6–12 months after building a bathhouse from green (wet) timber. If you initially build the steam room from dry timber, its equipment can be installed much sooner. The second point is the stove’s location. It should be planned so that even if cracks appear, ignition is prevented. This stage is best planned together with a specialist. The third point is insulation. The stove and wooden walls must in no case touch. Therefore a separate place is prepared for it, insulated on all possible sides. From below — a special foundation; at the sides and above — cladding made of non-combustible material. Under the firebox — a thin metal sheet to prevent sparks from falling onto the wooden floor.

      Electrical wiring. A less obvious but no less frequent cause of fires in a bathhouse. Electrical appliances and sockets in the steam room are more prone to ignition due to high humidity, so it is important to ensure their insulation. Use heat- and moisture-resistant sheathing for wires and carefully monitor the condition of connections.

      Carelessness. A fire can be caused by simple carelessness, for example, an unextinguished cigarette. There have been cases when a fire started after the stove was ignited with gasoline. It is unacceptable to heat a stove in a bathhouse with coal: this often burns even cast-iron grates and the bottom of the firebox, and combustion continues on the floor of the steam room! Sometimes stoves simply explode. This happens as a result of attempts to thaw ice frozen in the heat exchanger by stoking the stove. Believe me, this is very dangerous! Furnace doors fly off like shells, the doors of the steam room or the rest room are torn off their hinges, and burning logs are scattered throughout the bathhouse. So do not forget to drain the water from the heat exchanger and supply pipes in winter. And if you forgot, turn on the fan heater and patiently wait until the ice melts peacefully.

      Location. It is also important to take care of the correct placement of the bathhouse on the plot and to maintain distance from other buildings.

      If a fire starts, you must immediately leave the dangerous area and call 101 or 112.

      Photo: ONDiPR for the district

      author

      More news about the event:

      Rescuers of Mendeleevsk extinguished a fire in a bathhouse on private property

      On the evening of January 6, 2026, a report of a fire in a detached bathhouse at one of the private homesteads was received at the communication center of fire-rescue unit 86 via the "GLONASS +112" system. 14:22 07.01.2026 Mendeleevskie Novosti - Mendeleevsk

      Why bathhouses burn: causes of fires that every Mendeleevsk resident should know

      The ONDiPR for the Mendeleyevsky District reminds residents of the main causes of fires in bathhouses and how to avoid them. 14:21 07.01.2026 Mendeleevskie Novosti - Mendeleevsk

      News from neighboring regions on the topic:

      According to the fire service, as of January 7 during the New Year holidays there were 8 fires in the Sergiyevo-Posadsky district

      The number of fires exceeded last year’s figure by 33%. The main cause was improper use of stove and electric heating. 17:14 07.01.2026 Gazeta Vpered - Sergiyev Posad

      A sawmill burned down in the Smolensk region

      The Ministry of Emergency Situations clarified the consequences of the fire in the Smolensk district center. Smolensk, January 7. 15:15 07.01.2026 O Chyom Govorit Smolensk - Smolensk

      A bathhouse caught fire at night in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

      On the night of January 7, a fire engulfed a bathhouse on Novaya Street in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The report was received by emergency services at 03:40. 12:11 07.01.2026 News.Astv.Ru - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

      Three bathhouses burned in the Altai Krai within a day

      Rescuers of the region extinguished 13 fires in total on Monday. Three fires in private bathhouses occurred in Altai Krai on January 5. 10:45 06.01.2026 IA Amitel - Barnaul

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