An early morning fire Saturday tore through Driftwood Sauna Club in Milwaukee's Harbor District, sending thick smoke over the inner harbor and leaving the waterfront venue largely destroyed. Firefighters brought the blaze under control, and officials said there were no injuries, while the cause remains under investigation, as per Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Crews stayed on scene through the morning to battle heavy flames that overtook the club's building, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports, sharing video from the harbor. The outlet noted that fire officials said investigators were on site working to determine how the fire started.
Harbor District Sauna Scene
Driftwood was part of a small but growing cluster of communal saunas and cold-plunge spots along the riverfront, a trend that has included Hot Spell Sauna's riverfront residency and seasonal floating saunas. Urban Milwaukee and OnMilwaukee have tracked those openings, and Hoodline recently examined proposals for larger bathhouse projects in town.
Investigation And Next Steps
Officials told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that investigators would continue examining the scene and that building inspectors will assess the structural damage. There was no immediate estimate of the cost of the destruction, and the club’s future remained unclear as the investigation continued.
