Aussie model Dominique Elissa reveals her near-death experience
Dominique Elissa was staying at a remote property 30 minutes outside Byron Bay, where she was set to host a wellness retreat the next day.
The model and podcast host turned on the sauna and was about to get her swimming costume on when she heard a 'boom'.
'I finish eating dinner and I'm about to put my swimmers on to go in the sauna, and I hear 'boom',' she said in a TikTok.
'I look up and the entire sauna exploded.
'It was like a 10 to 15-metre-high explosion, all the power went out, my phone was about to die, I have no reception.
'I am screaming 'Help! Somebody help me', like it was a horror movie.'
The wellness enthusiast was able to call emergency services, but by the time they arrived, the sauna was burned to the ground.
'It was the most horrific thing to experience because I was only a few minutes from going into that sauna,' she said.
'I'm so grateful to be alive, so grateful to be here.
Ms Elissa's 73,000 TikTok followers were quick to comment about her traumatic ordeal.
'This is straight out of a Final Destination movie,' one follower wrote, while another added, 'new fear unlocked'.
'That is insane! This is the first time I've heard about a sauna exploding!!! They are so popular atm!' a third person said.
Other commenters expressed their concerns about their safety with saunas becoming trendy in the wellness community.
'Noooo this is so scary, I just become obsessed with this trend', one follower said.
Saunas can explode and burn down for a number of reasons, news.com.au reports.
Malfunctions in the heater or thermostat can lead to electrical fires, as can poor design — like installing a heater too close to timber walls or ceilings.
Leaving towels or other flammable items on or near the heater can also cause them to ignite quickly.
While uncommon, some saunas use hot rocks that have internal cracks. If water becomes trapped within these cracks, it can heat up and cause the rocks to explode.
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