MINNEAPOLIS — Five Minneapolis fire stations have installed saunas as part of an effort to reduce firefighters’ exposure to cancer-causing toxins.
Unlike most stations that feature traditional weight rooms to promote fitness, these locations are equipped with saunas intended for use after fires, KARE 11 reported. The goal is to help firefighters sweat out harmful toxins they may have absorbed through smoke and soot during calls.
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The initiative was supported by the Minneapolis Fire Foundation, which helped raise funds to purchase the saunas. The foundation’s founder, Steve Shapira, a firefighter and cancer survivor, said the move is aimed at protecting fellow firefighters from long-term health risks associated with the job.
“Hopefully, prevent someone from walking down that same road that I’ve had to go down through,” Shapira said.
Dr. Zeke McKinney, a physician with HealthPartners, has spent the past few years collecting data from St. Paul firefighters who began using saunas after fire responses.
While the findings aren’t yet conclusive, McKinney says early results are promising. He plans to publish his study later this year and emphasizes that more research is needed to determine whether sauna use can effectively reduce cancer risk among firefighters.
Some firefighters say using a sauna helps remove the smoky smell from their skin after a fire. That anecdotal evidence has led some researchers and doctors to explore whether saunas might also help flush out harmful toxins and carcinogens through sweat and urination.
The Minneapolis Fire Foundation hopes to install saunas in the city’s remaining 14 fire stations and is actively seeking donations to support the effort.
