London’s biggest gay sauna is to close for two months after a ground floor fire devastated facilities and left its patrons stranded half-naked on Shoreditch High Street.
Over a hundred men were evacuated from Chariots Health Club at 6am on Monday morning as smoke engulfed the building.
Firefighters attempt to put out the blaze. Photo: Richie Litchie
A small group of customers unable to grab their clothes or make a dash into a taxi stood barefoot outside the venue wrapped in towels until the fire brigade brought the blaze under control at 7.40am.
Once the scene had calmed, firefighters retrieved the belongings of three men still waiting who were draped in towels.
One regular at Chariots, which boasts two 30-man steam rooms and a giant ‘cruising’ room, said visitors rushed to grab their belongings and dress themselves as the fire snaked through the building.
He said: “The alarm went and everyone rushed towards the main exit. I was surprised by how quickly the fire spread – it was frightening.
“At first there was a trickle of smoke and within a couple of minutes that turned into a thick, black towering column of smoke – you could barely see anything else.”
Sauna users were led outside quickly and there were no casualties or injuries from smoke inhalation.
Six fire engines and 30 fire fighters were called to battle the fire, which reportedly began in the staff computer room.
Our source said that Hackney’s gay community was saddened by the sauna’s sudden absence: “It’s like [club] Heaven, it’s an integral part of the capital’s scene.
“Some people who come down to visit London use it to crash for the night – it’s only £15.
“But in some ways it’s just like going to a club – some people use it as a pick-up joint. It’s got quite an atmosphere! I always go in there when I’m sh*tfaced and lie down by the pool.”
Chariots has a reputation as a debauched venue where men go to fulfil sexual fantasies.
One user, who gave the bathhouse a five star rating on PinkUK listings, wrote: “Good if you’re a shy type like me, walked in Monday at 2am and was approached by three guys within five minutes.”
Another commented: “Between 11 and 12 they clean out the big ‘cinema’ and that drives everyone into the dark rooms, when that happens it can get very wild.”
A spokesperson for the sauna said the cause of the fire was still unknown.
“We believe it was an electrical fire but it’s still being investigated,” he said. “We’re getting our act together in the next couple of days.”
