After a massive blaze claimed 40 lives and injured 119 people celebrating New Year’s Eve in a Swiss ski resort bar, Le Constallation, questions are being raised not only about how safe these venues are, but also what kind of checks they are bound to undergo.
In this particular case, once the fire – which authorities attribute to Bengali candles placed on champagne bottles that were held too close to the ceiling and its soundproofing foam – began in the early hours of 2026, hundreds of partygoers became trapped in the bar’s basement, unable to escape via a narrow staircase.
The investigation is now focusing on the bar’s fire safety features and emergency exits, and whether its owners, a French couple against whom charges of involuntary manslaughter and other endangerment have been filed – followed all the safety rules (see more about this below).
At this point, this is not clear, with some reports suggesting that the bar’s basement area had only one access and exit route, which may have slowed down the evacuation of panic-stricken partygoers.
Further investigation will determine whether this was so.
What are the fire safety rules for such public venues?
In Switzerland, fire protection in public places – including bars and clubs – is governed by the federal and cantonal legislation, requiring strict measures.
They include building compartmentalisation – in other words, ensuring that each section of the building, rather than the structure as a whole – has clear evacuation routes (corridors, staircases, fire doors) with a minimum width (often 0.9m for doors) and a simple, accessible design, as well as appropriate alarm and fire suppression systems, with mandatory periodic inspections by cantonal or municipal authorities.
The management of these public venues is responsible for day-to-day safety, while the owners ensure that the infrastructure complies with regulations such as the Ordinance on Preventive Fire Measures – a piece of legislation which lays out technical requirements for fire safety in buildings.
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What about inspections?
In Switzerland, various inspection measures are primarily enforced at the cantonal and municipal levels, with overall guidelines harmonised by national associations like the Association of Cantonal Fire Insurance Establishments (AEAI/VKF).
Key inspection areas include fire safety, general health and hygiene, as well as alcohol sale compliance.
For bars and clubs, these inspections – especially related to fire prevention – are very important, said Alexander Bücheli of the Swiss Bar and Club Commission.
There are requirements regarding fire detectors and the number of emergency exits, which determine the maximum number of people allowed in a club or bar. “The regulations also stipulate that no flammable materials may be used for interior design and decoration,” he said.
In Zurich, the Fire and Rescue Service (SRZ) said that scheduled as well as unannounced inspections are regularly carried out in the city to ensure that standards are met and that emergency exits are functional.
“For our emergency response teams, it is particularly important that evacuation routes are easily accessible and that signage and emergency lighting are in place and clearly visible,” according to spokesperson Nadine Girod.
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And what about legal age for drinking?
The two 14-year-olds who died in the fire have brought up questions about the legal drinking age in Switzerland.
In line with the youth protection law, those under the age of 16 are not allowed to buy (or be served) alcohol in Switzerland.
However, from the age of 16 onwards teenagers can buy (or be given) beer and wine legally in 25 cantons. Only in Ticino has the minimum age limit set at 18.
When it comes to liquors, aperitifs, and alcopops, all 26 cantons agree that you need to be over the age of 18 to buy (or be served) these beverages.
It is the responsibility of bars and restaurants to verify the age of their customers.
Penalties for non-compliance vary from one canton to another but can include a fine ranging from several hundred to several thousand francs, while repeated offenders could have their licenses suspended or revoked.
READ ALSO: What are Switzerland’s minimum legal ages?
Planning permission for renovations
The fact the Constellation bar was apparently renovated in recent years has focussed attention on plannign permission required for any works in bars and clubs.
We do know from press reports that “according to deleted images from social media, the staircase leading from the basement bar to the ground floor was allegedly narrowed during the renovation. This could have potentially created a bottleneck hindering the exit of patrons from the premises during the fire.”
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It is unclear whether the interior renovation of the bar was authorised.
“In the last 11 years, no application for renovation has been published in the official bulletin of the canton of Valais, where building permit applications generally have to be published,” read the press report in Swiss Info.
But not all revamps need planning permission in Switzerland.’
“It is possible that no planning permission was required for the renovation, as the work was deemed insignificant. Valais regulations allow for this exception,” Swiss Info said.
