How Fire Spread in Seconds: Inside the Deadly Crans-Montana Nightclub Blaze; See Photos

At around 1.30am on New Year's Eve, flames erupted in the basement of the popular Crans-Montana nightclub after sparklers attached to champagne bottles ignited the ceiling. Within seconds, fire raced across the foam insulation overhead, turning a crowded underground room into a trap. At least 40 people were killed and 115 injured.

The blaze spread with extreme speed. Fire investigators believe heat from the sparklers released flammable gases trapped in the ceiling material, triggering a flash-fire effect that moved horizontally across the room. Witness videos show flames travelling faster than people could react, followed by thick, choking smoke that dropped visibility to near zero.

About 200 people - mostly teenagers and students - were packed into the basement. The fire cut off escape almost immediately. A single narrow staircase leading to one door became blocked as smoke poured downwards and people collapsed on the steps. Reinforced windows resisted attempts to break them, leaving many with no alternative route out.

Photographs taken minutes before the fire show how close ignition came. Champagne bottles fitted with sparklers were lifted to within inches of the ceiling. In one image, a waitress wearing a protective helmet stands on another staff member's shoulders, holding a sparkling bottle directly beneath the foam insulation that would soon ignite.

When the ceiling caught fire, the room's design worked against survival. Flames moved overhead while heat forced people to the floor, where smoke accumulated fastest. Survivors said the fire did not grow - it exploded. What began as a decorative spark became a ceiling-wide blaze in moments.

Emergency services arriving on scene encountered victims with severe burns and smoke inhalation injuries outside the bar and inside the basement. Local hospitals were rapidly overwhelmed. Intensive care units filled, and helicopters were used to transfer critical patients to specialist burn centres across Switzerland.

Only one victim has so far been publicly identified - 16-year-old Italian golfer Emanuele Galeppini. Authorities said identifying others will take days due to the extent of thermal injuries. Dozens of families remained at the resort awaiting news of missing children and relatives.

The fire has raised urgent questions about indoor fire safety. Authorities confirmed that sparklers and fireworks were already banned in Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve because of fire risk. Investigators are now examining why pyrotechnics were used indoors, whether the basement exceeded legal capacity, and whether escape routes met safety standards.

Promotional videos posted by the venue show sparklers being used regularly as part of service in confined spaces. Investigators believe this practice, combined with flammable ceiling insulation and overcrowding, created the conditions for a rapid, lethal fire.

As Crans-Montana enters a period of mourning, the focus remains on understanding how a flame meant to signal celebration instead ignited one of Switzerland's deadliest recent fires - and how quickly fire, once given fuel and space, can outrun every human instinct to escape.