A tribute to victims of a New Year's bar fire in the Swiss Alps has itself gone up in flames. Police in the canton of Valais say a memorial near the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana caught fire shortly before 6am Sunday, likely ignited by candles left burning at the site. The tribute, put up days after the Jan. 1 blaze that killed 41 people and injured 115, was covered by a wood-and-tarpaulin dome to shield flowers, candles, and condolence messages from the weather, per AFP. TV footage showed the top of the white, igloo-style structure scorched and blackened behind police tape.
Authorities quickly responded, putting out the flames in "very short time," police said, per Deutsche Welle. Nobody was hurt, though several items at the memorial were damaged. A remembrance book filled with messages from visitors over the past five weeks was rescued intact, according to police. Investigators have opened a formal inquiry into the memorial fire but say early findings rule out third-party involvement and point to candles as the source.
The original inferno is believed to have started when champagne bottles with sparklers were lifted too close to the crowded bar's ceiling, setting sound insulation on fire. The French couple who co-owned the venue, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, face charges including negligent manslaughter and negligent arson. Crans-Montana's head of public safety and a former local fire safety officer are also under investigation; the bar had reportedly skipped required annual fire inspections since 2019. News of the second fire left grieving families dismayed. "It is the municipality's responsibility to ensure a memorial that is secure," said a mother who lost her 16-year-old son in the initial blaze, per AFP.