‘Flashover’ could explain why fire spread in seconds in Swiss tragedy, says expert

Fire at ski resort leaves at least 40 dead in Switzerland The causes of the fire that left at least 40 dead and 115 injured in a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, Switzerland, continue to be investigated. While the country’s authorities try to understand exactly what happened, an expert interviewed by the BBC points to a possible reason to explain why the fire spread so quickly inside Le Constellation, where several people celebrated the New Year in the early hours of the 1st. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp In an interview with The World Tonight program, the president of the British Association of Fire Investigators, Richard Hagger, spoke about the flashover phenomenon, which, in his opinion, could have made the fire so deadly. ➡️ “A flashover is basically the rapid development of a fire within an environment. It starts with a fire, the flames and thermal radiation rise to the ceiling and spread quickly,” said Hagger. “This thermal radiation then propagates downwards, reaching other combustible materials, such as furniture and tables, raising the temperature to the point where these materials thermally decompose and produce flammable gas. And then this gas ignites, but at a very fast rate,” he added. “The place, in practice, is completely engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds.” Interior of bar that caught fire in a ski resort in Switzerland, on January 1, 2026. Valais Police via BBC Officially, Swiss authorities have not disclosed the causes of the fire. At a press conference on Thursday (1st), the attorney general of the canton of Valais, Beatrice Pilloud, stated that she cannot confirm anything while the investigation is ongoing. She was questioned by journalists about reports from witnesses who said they believed the fire had started from a candle, but did not comment on the hypothesis and highlighted: “The work will take time.” Two people who were in the bar at the time of the fire told the French channel BFMTV that one of the waitresses had placed birthday candles on top of champagne bottles and that one of them had been raised very close to the ceiling, which then caught fire. Authorities say they do not know how many people were in the bar at the time of the tragedy, which happened at 1:30 am local time (9:30 pm Brasília time) on the 1st. The work to recognize the dead and injured is still ongoing and “will take time”, said the head of the regional government of the canton of Valais, Mathias Reynard, recognizing, however, that the wait is “unbearable” for the families of the victims. Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Robert Larribau, head of the Emergency Medical Communication Center at Geneva University Hospitals, reported that some of the victims are very young, aged between 15 and 25. Some suffered internal burns to their bodies after inhaling smoke. The area around the bar was completely surrounded by police, who are still working there. According to BBC reporter Nick Johnson, who is at the scene, in addition to the police tape, forensic tents were also set up, where agents have been circulating the day after the tragedy. People pay tribute to victims of the fire at a bar in the Swiss Alps that left dozens dead on January 1, 2026. Getty Images via BBC On the other side of the police cordon, adds Johnson, the atmosphere is more peaceful and reflective, with the flowers and candles left by those who passed through on Thursday night to pay their respects to the victims. Hundreds of bouquets of flowers rest in a large area, accompanied by messages of love and hope. According to the reporter, although Crans-Montana is an international resort, a united community atmosphere prevails in the place. Many of the residents interviewed after the tragedy said they knew someone who was in the bar at the time of the fire. A resident interviewed by the BBC said she had just found out that her two friends who were at Le Constellation had died in hospital after suffering the effects of smoke inhalation. Both were 20 years old. She talked about the guilt she felt about being well while her friends’ families are suffering so much. ‘Many shocking scenes’ Video shows fire inside bar in Switzerland Le Constellation, in turn, was a “true institution”, as BBC journalist Silvia Costeloe described it, adding that, despite the region being known for luxury, the bar was not sumptuous, but a spacious place, where many tourists and locals went to have fun. Reports from witnesses and people who were there at the time of the fire are desperate. “People were running in all directions, screaming and crying,” said Daniella from Milan. “A young man came up to me and said he had seen hell—things he would never forget.” An 18-year-old man who did not want to be identified said he entered the bar during the fire to look for his younger brother. “I saw people burning… I found people burning from head to toe, without any clothes on,” he said. Axel Clavier said he was trapped in the burning building and had to break a window to escape. “We couldn’t see anything because of the smoke,” he told the AFP news agency, “Half of my clothes were gone, it was crazy.” Witness Dominic Dubois told Reuters news agency that a nearby bar offered shelter and used curtains to help keep people warm. “They did an incredible job of staying open. It was hot in there, and that was what was needed,” he said. A local branch of UBS bank was also opened, he adds: “We pushed all the tables to the side, all the tables were moved away, and people came in. It was warm in there and there was more light too.” Dubois said he saw “a lot of shocking scenes”, adding: “There were a lot of very strong people, who stood their ground and understood that their lives were in danger, but decided that mentally it was more important to remain calm.” Among the dead and injured, it is believed that there are people of various nationalities, who were spending the end of the year in the Swiss Alps. The Italian Foreign Ministry reported that 16 Italian citizens were missing. The country is a neighbor of Switzerland. Three Italian citizens were transferred to a hospital in their country, in the city of Milan. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that eight citizens of the country are considered missing after the incident in Switzerland and could be among the dead. French team FC Metz has confirmed that one of its youth players is among the injured and has been transferred to a hospital in Germany. Tahirys dos Santos, 19, was “severely burned”, the club said. Swiss President Guy Parmelin called the fire “one of the worst tragedies the country has ever experienced.” See the videos that are trending on g1

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