Swiss Investigators probe safety failures after the 2025 new years flashover fire that killed 40 people
Thank you for choosing Automatic Translation. Currently we are offering translations from English into French and German, with more translation languages to be added in the near future. Please be aware that these translations are generated by a third party AI software service. While we have found that the translations are mostly correct, they may not be perfect in every case. To ensure the information you read is correct, please refer to the original article in English. If you find an error in a translation which you would like to bring to our attention, it would help us greatly if you let us know. We can correct any text or section, once we are aware of it. Please do not hesitate to contact our webmaster to let us know of any translation errors.
CRANS‑MONTANA, Switzerland — Swiss authorities are examining possible safety lapses at a popular Alpine bar after a New Year’s Day fire killed at least 40 people and injured more than 100, in what officials have called one of the country’s worst modern‑day disasters.
Fire‑safety specialists say a combination of indoor pyrotechnics, flammable ceiling materials and restricted escape routes likely intensified the fire development and hindered evacuation.
According to international media, including Sky News, flammable sound-proofing material is possibly to blame for the rapid fire spread.
Citing the same source, Swiss officials called the fire an "embrasement generalise" or what English speaking firefighters would call a flashover or backdraught.
The site says a total of 13 helicopters, 42 ambulances, 150 paramedics and 70 firefighters were involved in the operation.
According to the BBC, the victims were between 14 and 39 years old, including 15 minors. The youngest were a 14‑year‑old Swiss girl and a 14‑year‑old French boy. Those affected come from a range of nationalities, including Swiss, Italian, Romanian, Turkish, Portuguese, French, and Belgian citizens, as well as individuals from the UK, France, and Israel.
Beyond the 40 people who lost their lives, 119 others were injured. Most suffered severe burns, and six of them were in such critical condition that they could initially not be been identified.
"An avoidable disaster"
The New York Times calls the disaster "avoidable" and said investigators have not yet released a full explanation for the blaze that broke out at Le Constellation around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday — an event the Swiss president has described as one of the worst disasters in the nation’s history.
However, early findings, according to New York Times, indicate that the tragedy may share key safety failures seen in past deadly nightclub fires, fire‑safety specialists say, including the 2003 Rhode Island fire that killed about 100 people and the 2013 Brazil nightclub fire that claimed more than 200 lives.
Rapid flashover in the ceiling
The fire broke out shortly after 1:30 a.m. in the basement level of Le Constellation, a two‑storey bar in the ski resort of Crans‑Montana, where hundreds of young people had gathered to celebrate the New Year.
Witnesses reported that sparklers mounted on champagne bottles ignited the low ceiling, triggering a rapid flashover that sent dense smoke and flames through the crowded room.
Wikipedia says the sparklers were only a few centimeters from the ceiling when the sound insulation boards ignited.
Emergency officials said many victims were trapped on a narrow staircase leading to the only clearly visible exit, while others smashed windows to escape. Hospitals across the Valais region were overwhelmed, and several burn patients were transferred to facilities in neighbouring countries as capacity was reached.
Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the bar’s management, focusing on occupancy levels, fire‑safety compliance and whether pyrotechnics were permitted inside the venue. Local officials declined to comment, citing the ongoing inquiry.
The victims include Swiss nationals and young people from several European countries.
Cover photo above: The building of the bar Le Constellation in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, photographed on 2 January 2026, the day after the fire.
By Christian David - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=181118712
2 January 2026, 12:50:13
Author: Christian David
Photo to the left:
Reportedly, this photograph shows the moment the moment a sparkler ignited the ceiling's foam cladding. By an Unidentified eyewitness - Original source: https://www.derbund.ch/crans-montana-loesten-wunderkerzen-den-brand-aus-577658435824Fair useF Original publication: Various European media, this copy was taken from a Der Bund article linked to below.Immediate source: https://www.derbund.ch/crans-montana-loesten-wunderkerzen-den-brand-aus-5776584…, Wikipedia Creative Commons Fair use:
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82016573
Further reading:
https://news.sky.com/story/what-we-know-about-deadly-new-years-fire-at-swiss-ski-resort-13489204
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/teen-victims-identified-swiss-alps-fire-rcna252155
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fire-switzerland-crans-montana-ski-resort-bar-le-constellation-mass/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3vel0xvlvgo
Diagram below:
Simplified diagram of the Le Constellation bar: 1 To an additional seating area 2 Approximate start of fire 3 Basement bar area 4 Stairs to ground level 5 Ground-level bar area 6 Terrace 7 Exit. Cmglee - Own work Based on: Champagne sparklers and a fast-spreading inferno: How a deadly Swiss bar tragedy unfolded http://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/02/europe/how-swiss-club-fire-unfolded-vis-intl What happened in the Crans-Montana bar fire in Switzerland – visual guide https://theguardian.com/global/2026/jan/02/visual-guide-crans-montana-bar-fire-switzerland 4 utilities problem torus.svg
Approximate start of fire Basement bar area Stairs to ground level Ground-level bar area Terrace ExitCC BY-SA 4.0File:Le Constellation bar fire diagram.svg
Uploaded: 4 January 2026
