Sparklers held near ceiling started Swiss ski resort fire, investigators believe

Footage and witness statements show blaze that killed about 40 was ‘very rapid’, prosecutor says

Investigators believe fountain sparklers mounted on champagne bottles and held too close to the ceiling sparked the deadly fire that tore through a crowded bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, killing about 40 people and injuring more than 100.

“Everything suggests the fire started from the burning candles or ‘Bengal lights’ that had been attached to champagne bottles,” the prosecutor Béatrice Pilloud said on Friday. “These went too close to the ceiling.”

Pilloud told a press conference in the town of Sion, about 16 miles (25km) from the mountain resort, that mobile phone footage and witness statements showed that “a rapid, very rapid and widespread conflagration ensued”.

The fire broke out at about 1.30am on Thursday and engulfed Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, which was packed with mostly young people celebrating the new year. Pilloud said the investigation would examine the bar’s compliance with safety regulations.

As efforts to identify the victims continued, Pilloud said investigators would focus on the materials used in the renovation of the bar and its basement, its operating licence, the availability of fire extinguishers and emergency exits, as well as the number of people in the venue when the fire began.

One image circulating online on Friday appeared to show the ceiling of the basement where the new year’s party was being held, apparently clad with foam soundproofing panels, catching fire as the sparklers were held aloft.

Mathias Reynard, the president of the Valais regional government, said authorities were working as fast as possible to identify the victims, many of whom had been severely burned, a process that officials said earlier could take several days.

Reynard said experts were using dental records, DNA samples and clothing descriptions in the “terrible and sensitive” task of identifying the badly burned bodies. “Nothing can be told to the families unless we are 100% sure,” he said.

Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old international golfer from Italy who lived in Dubai, was named on Friday as the first of several possible Italian victims of the disaster to be identified.

In a post on its website, the Italian Golf Federation paid tribute to Emanuele Galeppini as a ‘young athlete who embodied passion and authentic values’. Photograph: Italian Golf Federation

Pope Leo expressed his “compassion and solicitude” and said he was praying that “the Lord will welcome the deceased into His abode of peace and light, and sustain the courage of those who suffer in their hearts or in their bodies”.

The Valais police chief, Frédéric Gisler, said 119 people had been injured, 113 of whom had been identified. Among the injured are 71 Swiss, 14 French, 11 Italians, four Serbs, and one person each from Bosnia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal.

Eric Bonvin, the director of the regional hospital in Sion, told the press conference that the type of injuries received by most of the wounded “will need to be treated for a very long time”.

The EU said it had contacted Swiss authorities about providing medical assistance. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, said some of the injured were being cared for in French hospitals. Others were being treated in Germany and Poland.

Gisler said the death toll still stood at 40, with formal identification continuing. A ceremony will be held on 9 January in Crans-Montana to give the shellshocked, close-knit community in the mountain resort a chance to remember the victims.

Stéphane Ganzer, a regional health and safety official, told RTL radio earlier on Friday that “a large number” of the injured were in a critical condition. “When 15% or more of an adult’s body has third-degree burns, there is a risk of death,” he said.

Ganzer told the press conference the families of the victims would receive psychological support from the police, describing the tragedy as “unprecedented in the history of our canton”. About 40 police officers were still on the scene, he said.

Pilloud said no criminal liability had yet been established, adding that it was “essential that we do not make any assumptions”. It was not clear when the last fire checks at the bar were carried out, but no irregularities were reported.

The prosecutor said the owners of the bar had been questioned, but not under caution. If there were grounds to suspect their liability, “an investigation will be opened for negligent arson, negligent homicide, and negligent bodily injury”.

French media, citing property records, have said the bar is owned by two French nationals, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who bought it in 2015 and also owned two other establishments in the area including a hamburger restaurant in the town.

A friend of the couple, who are originally from Corsica and arrived in the area in the early 2000s, said Jessica Moretti, who was in the bar when the fire broke out, had been burned on the arm. Both have since been unreachable.

Several witness accounts reported by the Swiss, French and Italian media said restaurant staff had held sparklers mounted on champagne bottles high as part of a regular show for patrons, who made special orders to their tables.

There were “waitresses with champagne bottles and little sparklers”, one witness, Axel, told the Italian media outlet Local Team. “They got too close to the ceiling, and suddenly it all caught fire.”

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An image that has been circulating online that appears to show the moment just before the ceiling caught fire. The image may have been subjected to some digital enhancement.

A Swiss fire expert, Markus Knorr, told the Swiss outlet 20 Minutes that the type of soundproofing panels apparently used “burn fast and burst into flames” unless fireproofed, and fire could “spread extremely fast since they are mounted horizontally”.

Concerns have also been raised about the number of exits from the bar’s basement, which was used for special events and reportedly accessible from the ground floor only by a single staircase that several survivors described as narrow. According to its website, Le Constellation can host up to 300 people.

Residents of Crans-Montana, many of whom knew victims, have been stunned by the disaster. Hundreds of people stood in silence near the scene as they came to pay their respects to the dead and injured on Thursday night.

The mound of floral tributes outside Le Constellation continued to grow on Friday. “Rest in peace among the stars,” one of the messages read.

François, who did not want to give his surname, said: “I woke up to a loud bang at about 1.30am but then it went silent. I fell back to sleep and then saw the news in the morning. It seems that so many young people have lost their lives. We’ve never experienced anything like this.”

Fire brigade breaks windows

of apartment block at the

rear to release smoke

Rte des Téléphériques

Le Constellation

Fire starts in the basement

nightclub, downstairs from

the main floor bar

Rue Centrale

Terrace area

20 metres

Guardian graphic. Source: Google Earth

Arlino Marchese and his friend Sacha Dimic, from the nearby town of Sierre, were in Crans-Montana to ski on Friday. “We used to go to Le Constellation a lot when we were younger,” said Dimic. “It was a good bar, with a good atmosphere and really popular. All those lives gone, it’s terrible.”

Piermarco Pani, an 18-year-old who, like many others in the town, knew the bar well, said: “They were people like us.” Dozens of people left flowers or lit candles on a makeshift altar at the top of the road leading to the bar, which police had cordoned off.

Elisa Sousa, 17, told Reuters she was meant to have been at Le Constellation on Thursday night but had spent the evening at a family gathering instead. “I’ll need to thank my mother a hundred times for not letting me go,” she said at the vigil.

The Swiss president, Guy Parmelin, who visited the mountain resort on Thursday, said the country would hold five days of mourning to mark what he described as one of the most traumatic events in its history.

The UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, said on X: “Our thoughts are with all the victims and their families. The FCDO stand ready to support any British nationals affected.”

Unverified Claims Emerge in Crans-Montana Fire Probe: Allegations of VIP Area Ignition and Electrical Faults Surface Amid Official Sparkler Findings

As Swiss authorities continue their investigation into the catastrophic New Year’s Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana that claimed 40 lives and injured 119 others, unconfirmed reports from anonymous sources have sparked speculation about alternative causes. While official statements consistently attribute the blaze to celebratory sparklers igniting flammable ceiling foam, whispers of a possible origin near a VIP area and an overlooked wiring fault have circulated online and in media circles. These claims remain unsubstantiated, with prosecutors emphasizing that the probe is ongoing but evidence strongly supports the sparkler scenario as of January 6, 2026.

The tragedy unfolded around 1:30 a.m. on January 1 in the basement of the popular venue, packed with hundreds of mostly young revelers, including many teenagers. Preliminary findings from Valais canton prosecutor Béatrice Pilloud indicate that fountain sparklers on champagne bottles, held aloft during celebrations, contacted the low ceiling lined with acoustic foam, triggering a rapid flashover. Videos and photos analyzed by investigators show the flames spreading explosively across the ceiling in seconds, releasing toxic smoke that overwhelmed the crowd.

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No official reports mention a designated VIP area as the ignition point, nor has any electrical malfunction been cited as the primary cause. The bar, described as a casual spot for locals rather than an exclusive venue, lacked formal VIP sections in public descriptions. However, some survivor accounts and leaked “internal reports” alleged in social media discussions suggest enhanced lighting or sound systems in certain corners could have involved faulty wiring, potentially overlooked during inspections. Fire experts note that while electrical faults can initiate blazes, the rapid spread here aligns more closely with pyrotechnic ignition of synthetic materials like polyurethane foam, which releases intense heat and fumes.

Among the victims was 15-year-old Charlotte Niddam, a former student at schools in Hertfordshire and London with British, French, and Israeli ties. Eyewitnesses reportedly described her final moments as heroic: in the thickening smoke, Charlotte was last seen attempting to pull a friend to safety before succumbing to the chaos. Her family confirmed her passing with profound sadness, as all 40 victims were identified by January 4 through DNA and other forensic methods due to severe burns. Charlotte’s story has touched international audiences, highlighting the youthfulness of those lost—over half were minors, some as young as 14.

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The community in Crans-Montana, nestled amid stunning Alpine vistas, has united in grief. Makeshift memorials outside the sealed-off bar overflow with flowers, candles, and messages of remembrance, transforming the site into a poignant tribute. Silent marches, church services, and even skiers forming heart shapes on the slopes honor the victims and first responders.

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Prosecutors have placed the bar’s French managers under criminal investigation for suspected negligent homicide, bodily harm, and fire by negligence. Focus areas include the flammability of ceiling materials, emergency exit accessibility, occupancy limits, and indoor pyrotechnic use. Prior inspections reportedly found no issues, but questions persist about compliance with Swiss fire codes requiring non-flammable furnishings and strict pyrotechnic permissions.

Survivors paint harrowing pictures: crushing stampedes at the narrow staircase, blinding smoke, and desperate attempts to extinguish early flames. Many injured required transfer to specialized units across Europe, straining resources. Switzerland observed national mourning, with flags at half-mast and bells tolling.

While speculative leaks about wiring or specific areas add layers of intrigue, authorities urge caution against unverified information. The Zurich Forensic Institute’s analysis prioritizes evidence from videos, witness statements, and site examinations. This disaster echoes past nightclub fires, underscoring risks of festive pyrotechnics in enclosed spaces.

In the pristine yet somber Swiss Alps, Crans-Montana seeks healing and accountability. Charlotte Niddam’s courageous final act symbolizes the selflessness amid terror, as families await full answers to prevent future loss.