A fire in a Swiss ski resort that took the lives of 40 people was “likely started by sparklers” igniting the ceiling of the ground and basement-level bar
In the early hours of New Year’s Eve, 40 people were killed and around 119 were injured after a blaze broke out in the basement of the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Valais, in the early hours of New Year’s Eve.
According to Reuters, of the 40 people who died in the blaze, 26 were teenagers. Those who were injured were taken to hospitals in Sion, Lausanne, Geneva, and Zurich. Many of them are believed to have suffered “severe burns”.
As reported by The Guardian, a preliminary investigation by Swiss authorities into the cause of the fire suggests it started from “sparklers put on bottles of champagne”.
At a press conference held on 2 January 2026, Valais attorney general Beatrice Pilloud said: “Everything leads us to believe that the fire was started from sparkling candles or sparklers that were put on bottles of champagne that were moved too close to the ceiling.
“From that a blaze began very quickly…There are videos that have been analysed; there are several people who have been interviewed, and reports have been made.”
As part of their ongoing investigation, officials have been looking at previous renovations carried out at the bar, including safety measures. Pilloud said: “The next steps of the investigate will focus in particular on the work carried out inside the bar, the materials utilised, the operating permits, the safety measures – by which I mean extinguishers, emergency exits, and the resources to fight fires … the number of people on the site and the number of people the bar is permitted to receive.”
Pilloud added that the “acoustic-dampening foam” used in the ceiling of the basement will also be examined to see whether it complied with regulations. It is understood that officials checked the noise levels at the bar but did not consider the “state of the foam panels and whether they were fire-proof”.
Stephane Ganzer, head of security in Valais, described the incident as “unprecedented in the history of our canton”. He stated that during the most recent inspection of the bar, no defects had been identified, noting that the building also had an emergency exit in addition to the main staircase.
“This building had an emergency exit – there was not just one door, even if during the fire it would appear that people left through the main exit, but this building was indeed equipped with [another] emergency exit,” Ganzer said.
“But you can imagine that during a blaze, with smoke, which within just a few moments makes it impossible for them to see … a majority of people were not able to find the exits.”
At a news conference held on 6 January, mayor of Crans-Montana, Nicolas Feraud, confirmed that council officials are expected to carry out reviews of establishments such as bars each year, but Le Constellation had not undergone any safety checks, investigations, or auditing for five years.
“We regret that – we owe it to the families, and we will accept the responsibility," Feraud said.
An external contractor will be brought in to inspect all 128 venues in the area. A ban has also since been announced on the use of sparklers in local venues.
As reported by BBC News, a criminal investigation into the managers of the Le Constellation bar is underway. Jacques and Jessica Moretti are suspected of “manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence, and arson by negligence,” Swiss prosecutors said.
Feraud noted that it would be “down to the judges to know whether we [the council] will be part of this case or not”.
A national day of mourning has been planned. In a statement posted on its website, Crans-Montana said it was “in mourning” and stood with “deep compassion alongside everyone affected by the tragedy of the night of 1 January”.