Fire alarm at Finnish skiing team’s hotel during Tour de Ski — sauna started smoking

Tour de Ski rest-day service at the Finnish national team’s hotel was interrupted by a fire alarm after smoke was detected coming from the hotel sauna.

On Monday evening the alarm went off at the Toblacherhof hotel, where the Finland team is staying during the Tour de Ski. Multiple fire engines arrived at the scene.

Yle Sports reporter Kimmo Porttila, who was on site, said about ten firefighters were working both inside and outside the hotel. They reassured people that the situation was under control and there was no danger. According to the hotel owner the alarm was triggered when the sauna began to smoke and there was a smell of smoke in the building.

Porttila ran into Finnish skier Lauri Vuorinen in the hotel yard; Vuorinen had just returned from a run and joked that it was a shame they couldn’t use the sauna on the eve of the Tour’s rest day.

Service staff were also disappointed. Waxing chief Heikki Tonteri posted a photo of the scene on Instagram, noting the service team had planned to visit the sauna but it started to smoke before they could get on the benches.

No injuries were reported and the fire brigade cleared the situation; the article was later updated with the confirmation that there was no further danger.