Swiss Bar Fire Teaches Important Lesson About Fireworks Indoors
Approximately 40 people were killed, teaching onlookers an important lesson about setting off fireworks inside crowded wooden buildings.
[Fire safety expert gesturing at 'Don't Light Fireworks Indoors' poster]
A fire safety expert demonstrates concepts that apparently needed demonstration
A devastating fire at a popular Swiss ski resort bar has claimed approximately 40 lives, providing survivors and onlookers with a valuable educational opportunity about the dangers of indoor pyrotechnics. The tragedy occurred when someone decided that celebrating the new year required explosives, and that a century-old wooden building was an appropriate venue for such explosives.
“It’s a terrible tragedy,” said local fire chief Hans Brunner, “but if we’re looking for silver linings, at least now people know not to do this. We thought it was obvious, but apparently it needed to be demonstrated.”
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In my 30 years of fire safety, I’ve learned to never assume people understand that fire plus wooden building plus no exit equals bad. Now we have proof.
The bar, known locally as “The Chalet,” was a beloved gathering spot for skiers and tourists, featuring exposed wooden beams, vintage decorations, and what fire investigators are now calling “approximately zero adequate safety features.” The building’s single exit was reportedly blocked by a coat rack, a broken slot machine, and several people’s poor life choices.
Witnesses report that the fire started around midnight when an employee, in a moment of what can only be described as catastrophically poor judgment, lit indoor fireworks to celebrate the new year. The celebration lasted approximately 15 seconds before transitioning into panic.
Other Lessons We Apparently Still Need To Learn
- Don’t text while driving
- Don’t mix bleach and ammonia
- Don’t feed bears
- Don’t invade Russia in winter
- Don’t set off fireworks indoors
Swiss authorities have announced a full investigation into the incident, focusing on questions such as “how did this happen” and “did anyone think this through for even one second.” Preliminary findings suggest the answer to the second question is “no.”
The bar’s owner, who survived by exiting through a kitchen window, expressed shock at the outcome. “We’ve done indoor fireworks before,” he told reporters, apparently not understanding why this statement made investigators write things down very quickly. “It was tradition.”
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When the fireworks started, I thought, ‘That’s festive.’ Then I thought, ‘That’s on fire.’ Then I jumped out a window. Probably should have started with step three.
Fire safety experts have used the incident to remind the public that fireworks, by definition, involve fire, and that works, in this context, is short for “works at burning things.” This linguistic connection, they note, should have been a clue.
Local officials have announced new regulations requiring bars to display signs stating “Do Not Light Explosives Indoors,” a regulation that feels both necessary and somehow deeply depressing. Additional signage reading “Fire Is Hot” and “Exits Are For Exiting” is under consideration.
The tragedy has prompted soul-searching across the Swiss hospitality industry, with many bar owners reportedly checking their emergency exits and removing their decorative fire extinguishers from display cases. “I always thought the ‘in case of emergency’ part was optional,” admitted one Zurich pub owner. “Turns out it’s not.”
Memorial services for the victims are scheduled for next week. In a related announcement, Swiss authorities have confirmed that the memorial will not include fireworks.