Indoor Fireworks Linked to Deadly Nightclub Fires Worldwide
The Le Constellation bar fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on New Year's Eve resulted in at least 40 deaths and is currently under investigation. Sparklers attached to champagne bottles were identified as the likely ignition source, with flares placed too close to the ceiling causing a rapid flashover. Investigators are also examining whether ceiling foam played a role in the fire's rapid spread.
This incident highlights a recurring global problem with indoor fireworks causing deadly bar and nightclub infernos. In December 2025, a nightclub fire in Goa, India, killed 25 people when electrical firecrackers were set off inside. Similarly, in March 2025 at the Pulse nightclub in Kocani, North Macedonia, 63 people died after a pyrotechnic flame near the roof ignited materials, resulting in a stampede toward a single exit.
Other notable incidents include the January 2022 fire at Liv's Nightclub Yaouba in Yaounde, Cameroon, which killed 17 after fireworks ignited the roof and spread to stored cooking gas. The October 2015 Colectiv nightclub fire in Bucharest, Romania, caused 64 deaths when insulation foam ignited, leading to a fatal rush to the lone exit.
Historically, the January 2013 Kiss nightclub fire in Santa Maria, Brazil, killed over 200 when a band lit a flare that ignited flammable soundproofing foam on the ceiling. Even earlier, in February 2003, the Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, USA, led to 100 fatalities after band fireworks set fire to flammable foam in the walls and ceiling.
These tragedies demonstrate the lethal combination of indoor fireworks and flammable materials in enclosed entertainment venues, emphasizing the need for stricter safety regulations and awareness.
