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Crans-Montana, Switzerland – A bar in the Swiss resort town of Crans-Montana hadn’t been inspected for fire safety in over six years, a lapse that’s ignited a political firestorm following a recent blaze. The Valais canton, responsible for oversight, could have discovered these missing inspections, but didn’t actively seek the reports from municipalities.
- The “Le Constellation” bar in Crans-Montana hadn’t been inspected for fire safety since 2018, despite annual inspection requirements.
- Valais security director Stéphane Ganzer expressed shock and anger over the lack of controls.
- The canton didn’t request missing inspection reports, citing plans to ease fire protection regulations.
- Several other municipalities in Valais are also struggling to meet inspection requirements.
Valais State Councilor and Security Director Stéphane Ganzer told RTS he was “shocked and angry” upon learning of the failures in Crans-Montana. “A lot of things about this drama shock me – including the lack of controls,” Ganzer stated.
Fire protection regulations are clearly defined, with the canton offering support to municipalities upon request. However, the law places the responsibility for conducting inspections squarely on the municipalities. The canton retains powers for monitoring and coordination, specifically requiring municipalities to submit all inspection reports.
Flowers, a stuffed animal and a red heart at the entrance to Zurich University Hospital: They are intended to give strength to the burn victims and their relatives.
Keystone / Michael Buholzer
Cantonal authorities could have identified the missing reports from Crans-Montana and the years of unchecked fire safety at “Le Constellation” and other establishments.
If no report is received, we assume everything is OK.
However, no action was taken. According to a statement provided to SRF and the “Walliser Bote” newspaper, Philipp Hildbrand, head of the cantonal fire protection office, wrote: “If no report is received, we assume that everything is in order.”
Municipalities Overwhelmed by Control Requirements
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Crans-Montana isn’t an isolated incident. Philipp Hildbrand acknowledged that many municipalities struggle to meet legal requirements. “We should actually receive a lot of reports every year. In reality, however, there are significantly fewer. In general, if no reports are received and no problems are reported, we assume that inspections have been carried out,” he said.
Communities Were Deliberately Spared Additional Scrutiny
The canton deliberately refrained from requesting missing annual inspection reports from municipalities. Philipp Hildbrand explained this decision was linked to plans to relax fire protection regulations. “The original plan was to switch to a ten-year cycle across Switzerland from 2027. That’s why the communities have not been subjected to any additional burdens in recent years,” the Valais administrator stated. In cantons like Zurich and Bern, inspections often occur only every five or ten years.
Earlier this week, plans for looser Swiss-wide fire protection regulations were put on hold following the fire disaster in Crans-Montana. Valais is now considering temporarily deploying additional staff to assist municipalities with inspections.
The cantonal authorities also plan to increase support for municipalities in training security officers. A cantonal ban on indoor pyrotechnics is being examined as an immediate measure.
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