Sparklers nearly ignited Swiss bar years before fatal NYE fire

Footage Shows Near Miss at Swiss Bar Before Deadly Fire

This is the shocking moment sparklers nearly set a Swiss bar on fire six years before the catastrophic New Year’s Eve blaze that killed 40 people and left 116 injured.

Newly emerged footage shows a staff member at a packed ski bar desperately shouting for revelers to move sparklers away from the ceiling.

The chilling video, filmed on New Year’s Eve 2019, captures a waiter repeatedly yelling: “Watch out for the foam, watch out for the foam,” as a sparkler wedged into a champagne bottle drifts dangerously close to the roof.

At that time, disaster was narrowly avoided.

But on New Year’s Eve years later, that same warning came far too late.

Details of the Incident

The footage was sent to Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) by a guest who was inside Le Constellation nightclub in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana on the night the clip was filmed.

“I remember, we were very close to the ceiling, and that’s even why the waiter made that comment […] As an adult, he realized there might be a risk,” she said.

Swiss authorities now say that exact risk became reality when the bar went up in flames, killing 40 people and leaving 116 injured – many with severe, third-degree burns.

Investigation Findings

Investigators believe the inferno was sparked when wait staff waved champagne bottles plugged with sparklers too close to the ceiling, which was lined with flammable sound-proofing foam panels.

The blaze is thought to have erupted at around 1:30 am and rapidly developed into a deadly “flashover,” igniting much of the venue within seconds and filling the basement with toxic smoke, leaving partygoers with almost no chance of escape.

Swiss attorney general Beatrice Pilloud said: “Everything suggests that the fire started with incandescent candles placed in champagne bottles, which were brought too close to the ceiling, causing a rapid and widespread conflagration.”

Safety Oversight and Accountability

The nightclub, described by investigators as a “deathtrap,” had not undergone a safety inspection for five years – despite being legally required to be checked annually.

Crans-Montana mayor Nicolas Féraud admitted the failure, saying: “No inspections of the Constellation bar were carried out between 2020 and 2025. We bitterly regret this.”

He added: “There’s no question of shirking our responsibilities,” while insisting accountability now rests with the courts: “We trust in the justice system.”

Criminal Investigation Launched

A criminal investigation has been launched into the bar’s French owners, Jacques Moretti and his wife Jessica, who managed Le Constellation.

The couple are suspected of manslaughter, bodily harm, and causing a fire – all by way of negligence – though they have not been formally charged and remain free to travel.

They were questioned by Swiss prosecutors on Friday and are currently assisting the investigation.

Legal and Personal Consequences

Investigators believe the inferno six years later was sparked when wait staff waved champagne bottles plugged with sparklers too close to the ceiling.

Prosecutors have said they will pursue charges of “arson by negligence” and “manslaughter by negligence” if criminal liability is established.

Moretti has denied wrongdoing and claimed his bar “followed all safety regulations,” despite reportedly being inspected only “three times in ten years.”

Victims and Their Stories

Forty people from seven countries were killed, including 26 aged between 14 and 18.

Some victims were burned beyond recognition and identified only through DNA analysis.

Swiss authorities say more than half of the victims were under 18.

Summary of Victims

As of Monday afternoon, 83 of the 116 injured remained in hospital, some still fighting for their lives.

Funerals are taking place across Europe this week, as Swiss prosecutors continue investigating what they now believe was not just a tragic accident – but a catastrophe years in the making.