The French couple who owned and managed Le Constellation bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana are facing renewed questioning by prosecutors as investigators piece together how a New Year’s Eve celebration turned into one of Switzerland’s deadliest fires. Jacques and Jessica Moretti were taken into custody after the blaze that erupted at around 1:30 a.m. on January 1, 2026 killed 40 people, most of them teenagers, and injured another 116, with 83 still hospitalised days later. The pair are under criminal investigation for manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, with Jacques Moretti placed in preventive detention for three months while Jessica was released under restrictions.
Prosecutors believe the fire started when staff served champagne bottles topped with sparkler candles, which ignited soundproofing foam installed on the ceiling of the packed basement where revellers were dancing. Jacques Moretti told the Valais public prosecutor’s office that he had bought the foam himself from a DIY store and installed it during renovations in 2015, and claimed his own tests showed the sparkler candles were not powerful enough to ignite it. He also said he discovered a service door had been locked from the inside after the fire broke out, and forced it open to find several victims lying behind it.
Fresh questions are now being raised about compliance with fire safety regulations, the presence and accessibility of fire extinguishers, and whether emergency exits met legal standards. Municipal authorities in Crans-Montana admitted that no fire safety inspections had been carried out at the establishment since 2019, despite a legal requirement for annual checks in premises open to the public, and said they “bitterly regret” the lapse. Investigators are also examining renovations made to the bar, the materials used, and the number of patrons inside when the blaze began, with witnesses reporting that the basement was crammed with young partygoers, many underage.
The Morettis said they were “devastated and overwhelmed with grief” and pledged full cooperation, insisting they would not evade responsibility. Their lawyer said Jacques Moretti answered all questions during ten hours of interrogation, though authorities must still corroborate his statements with other evidence. As families call for an independent investigation and Swiss officials describe the tragedy as reaching temperatures of 500 to 600 degrees Celsius, the probe now centres on whether failures in safety protocols, oversight, and building materials turned a festive night into an inferno.
