In the wake of the 1 January 2026 incident at the Crans-Montana ski resort, families and communities are grieving the victims of the fire at the Le Constellation bar. We honour those who were lost and extend our deepest condolences to all who are mourning.
In our second blog of this series, we examine recurring failures in fire safety and compliance and identify the practical and technical actions needed to prevent future tragedies. While the investigation is still ongoing and conclusions about the exact cause must await, this disaster forces us to confront two painful and urgent questions: Why does this keep happening? And how can we prevent it from happening again?
A Wake-up Call After Fires
In the aftermath of tragedy, there is often a rush to assign blame or propose quick solutions. New regulations may be introduced, responsibility may be assigned and jumping to conclusions can be tempting, but they are often misleading. In reality, almost all major fires involve clear violations of existing safety rules and regulations. The core problem does not lie in a lack of fire regulations, but in their proper implementation and maintenance.
Turning Compliance into Action: Safety Through the Lens of a Nightclub or Restaurant Owner
Years of fire inspections in restaurants and nightclubs reveal the same pattern: deficiencies are common, and new regulations alone rarely change behaviour. Restaurant and nightclub owners operate under intense business pressure, where fire safety competes with countless other concerns. This is usually not due to indifference, but rather limited knowledge and practical constraints. Real progress in safety comes when solutions are designed from the owner’s perspective, making it easier and more compelling for them to comply with the rules and regulations. From the landlord or owner’s perspective, some requirements enforced by fire regulations may be questionable for several reasons, including:
- Blocked or locked emergency exits: Blocked emergency exits have significantly increased fatalities in more than half of all recorded fires. Access control and emergency evacuation often conflict. Extra doors may increase the risk of unwanted entry, thereby restricting entry to only one path. Effective solutions could include loud alarms, flashing lights, camera monitoring and, in extreme cases, delayed unlocking systems that provide staff time to react while still allowing evacuation.
- Choice of interior materials: Another recurring factor is decorations, pyrotechnics and open flames, which are present in roughly two-thirds of deadly fires. Temporary seasonal decorations and interior materials are often chosen for their low cost, even when other, safer, fire-resistant alternatives are available.
- Plastic-based acoustic materials: Acoustic materials represent a particularly dangerous hazard. In roughly one quarter of all catastrophic fires, these materials dramatically accelerated fire spread and increased casualties. Acoustic planning is frequently neglected during the design process, and when problems arise after opening, owners often opt for the fastest and cheapest solutions – typically combustible products – despite the availability of non-combustible alternatives.
- Misleading product information: Compounding the problem is misleading product information. Even when owners ask about fire safety, they may lack the expertise to determine whether materials are truly safe for use in restaurants and nightclubs. Fire testing alone does not guarantee suitability. Reliable guidance from fire authorities and professional fire consultants is available.
- Ceiling height and building location: These influence fire development but are difficult for operators to change.
Meanwhile, sprinkler systems and fire alarms remain the most effective lifesaving tools. Their absence from major-fire statistics is not because they are unimportant, but because they prevent fires from becoming catastrophic. In several fatal incidents, confusion between real emergencies and stage effects has delayed evacuation. Fire alarms immediately alert occupants and emergency services.
Closing the Gap Between Risk and Action
Ultimately, cost remains a significant barrier. Safety improvements often require meaningful time and investment, which can unintentionally contribute to complacency or an “it won’t happen to me” mindset. Addressing this challenge requires consistent enforcement and clear accountability, ensuring that noncompliance carries real consequences and that proactive safety measures are the most viable path forward.
These tragedies are not accidents of fate. By approaching safety from the owner’s perspective, technical experts can bridge the gap, helping venues remain safe, compliant and profitable, eventually changing behavior patterns to prevent such incidents.
Read the first part of this blog series here.