Burn injuries caused by hot air sauna burns constitute a Finnish burn rarity. The patients are usually middle-aged men having passed out on the sauna benches under the influence of alcohol. Sauna air causes a deep injury penetrating all layers of the skin, accompanied with necrosis of the subcutaneous tissue and consequent rhabdomyolysis. The initially harmless-looking erythema of the skin rapidly transforms into a third-degree burn. Therapy includes the prevention of kidney damage and surgery. Local flaps are recommended for the treatment of tissue defects caused by destruction of deep tissues and amputations.