Rapid Spread of Swiss Bar Fire: Eyewitness Accounts and Safety Concerns

Thu Feb 19 2026 01:35:04 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Investigations uncover rapid spread of deadly fire at a Swiss ski resort bar, involving sparklers attached to champagne bottles and questionable safety standards.

A devastating fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on New Year's Eve has claimed at least 40 lives and left 119 injured. Investigators are examining eyewitness video evidence and focusing on the ignition source—sparklers attached to champagne bottles held too close to a flammable ceiling. Safety standards regarding foam padding and exit routes are now crucial points of investigation as officials seek to determine the cause of the quick escalation of the fire.

Investigators are racing to establish how and why the deadly New Year's Eve fire at a bar in a Swiss ski resort spread so rapidly.

Authorities on Friday said in a press conference that sparklers attached to champagne bottles that were held too close to the ceiling appear to have started the blaze in the basement of Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana.

But how the fire took hold with such ferocity, killing at least 40 people and leaving 119 injured, many seriously, is now a key focus for officials - as is the bar's safety record.

BBC Verify has been examining videos taken by survivors and onlookers and speaking to fire safety experts to find clues about what went wrong.

Bottles with sparklers held in the air

Two striking images shared widely online show people carrying champagne bottles with lit sparklers above their heads, with a crowd around them.

One image shows flames starting to gather on the ceiling above people holding five of these bottles aloft.

The second image is a closer-up angle, showing a person wearing a crash helmet and holding a bottle with a lit sparkler, sitting on the shoulders of another person wearing a Guy Fawkes mask.

The sparks from this bottle appear to be closer to the ceiling.

Questions about foam padding on ceiling

Another focus is on foam-like padding on the bar's ceiling and whether it was compliant with safety standards.

Investigators are looking into the type of foam visible in photos and videos, which appears to show egg box foam, a sound-absorbing material. If not treated properly, this foam can be highly flammable.

Experts warn that untreated polyurethane foam can exhibit rapid flame spreads and produce toxic smoke, vastly increasing fire danger.

The Swiss authorities have not confirmed the foam type used or its compliance with safety regulations. They mentioned the possibility of a flashover happening, which is a rapid ignition of gases near the ceiling that can trap occupants.

Exit routes from the bar

Authorities will investigate exit routes, particularly since the fire initiated in the basement. Videos show frantic attempts by patrons to extinguish flames and escape using narrow stairs—potentially deadly bottlenecks.

Reports indicated multiple emergency exits existed, but the state of these exits at the time of the fire is under scrutiny.