Swiss authorities have said that a deadly fire at a ski resort bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, rapidly developed into a “flashover” – a dangerous phenomenon in which everything in a room ignites almost simultaneously.

A flashover was involved in the 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island that killed 100 people, a disaster that Mr. Kerber said the blaze in Switzerland appeared to resemble. In that case, pyrotechnics ignited by a band playing at the club, the Station, set soundproofing foam lining the walls and ceiling ablaze.

Authorities probing a fire that killed dozens at a Swiss ski-resort bar say it appears to be a textbook case of what fire experts call a flashover. Investigators in Crans-Montana believe flames at Le Constellation,

THIS is the horrifying moment the deadly “flashover” inferno erupts at a packed bar in Swiss ski resort, where at least 40 people died. Authorities have confirmed teenagers are among

About 40 people were killed and around 119 others injured in a fire at a New Year’s party in a Swiss ski resort bar, according to police. Follow for live updates.

The leading theory for the Swiss ski resort bar fire suggests that sparklers attached to bottles for show ignited the ceiling, leading to the deadly blaze at the Swiss ski resort

A haunting new photo captured the moment lit sparklers attached to champagne bottles ignited the ceiling at the Le Constellation nightclub in Switzerland.

How the blaze took hold with such ferocity, killing at least 40 people and leaving many more critically injured, is now a key focus for officials.

Montana, Switzerland, on New Year’s Eve has prompted an ongoing investigation into its cause. Social media features unverified videos and images allegedly depicting the fire's beginning, suggesting possible ignition from candles or champagne bottle sparklers.

EADaily, January 1st, 2026. Several dozen people died in a fire at the Le Constellation bar in the Valais ski resort in Crans-Montana on New Year's Eve, more than a hundred were injured, most of them seriously.

When a flame in a room is not quickly put out, hot gases rise to the ceiling and spread heat throughout the space, fire experts say.