"Investigators have said they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire at Le Constellation in the resort town of Crans-Montana when they came too close to the ceiling. Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the bar managers."
"On Tuesday, the Crans-Montana municipality said that inspections of Le Constellation that included fire safety checks had been carried out in 2016, 2018 and 2019, and that modifications had been requested - but no issues with soundproofing measures had been raised. The local council discovered after consulting documents after the fire that "periodic checks were not carried out between 2020 and 2025," the head of Crans-Montana's municipal government, Nicolas Féraud, told a news conference."
A New Year's party fire at Le Constellation in Crans-Montana killed 40 people and injured over 100. Investigators believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the blaze when they came too close to the ceiling. Authorities are examining whether ceiling soundproofing complied with regulations and whether the candles were permitted. Swiss prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into the bar managers on suspicions of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire. The municipality said fire safety inspections occurred in 2016, 2018 and 2019 with requested modifications, but periodic checks were not carried out between 2020 and 2025. An external soundproofing expert was commissioned in September.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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