Italian ski resort Courmayeur bans indoor sparklers after deadly Swiss fire
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"Fountain candle" sparklers are thought to have caused a New Year fire at a bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, that killed 40 people.
PHOTO: EPA
- Courmayeur, Italy, bans sparklers and open flames inside after a deadly fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, killed 40, including six Italians.
- The ban, deemed "necessary and urgent", targets public venues to prevent similar incidents caused by indoor use of pyrotechnics.
- Italy considers a nationwide ban on sparklers; other cities may follow Courmayeur's example after increased safety inspections and club closures.
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MILAN - Courmayeur, an exclusive Italian ski resort at the foot of Mont Blanc, has banned the use of sparklers and other naked flame items in closed spaces following the deadly blaze in a bar in Switzerland’s Crans-Montana.
The Crans-Montana fire on New Year's Eve
Courmayeur’s town hall said in a statement on Jan 20 that the ban would apply to “open flames and pyrotechnic items in all enclosed spaces, in particular in public venues”.
Italian local authorities have intensified inspections of nightclubs and other public venues since the Crans-Montana catastrophe, checking capacity limits, emergency exits and fire safety measures.
Several clubs and discotheques have been closed in Rome this month following safety inspections, including Piper, one of the capital’s most popular and historic venues which rose to fame during the 1960s.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said her government is considering introducing a nationwide ban on the use of sparklers indoors.
Several Swiss cantons have banned the sparklers since the Crans-Montana disaster.
Courmayeur Mayor Roberto Rota said the resort’s ban was “necessary and urgent” due to the widespread use of open flames in public venues during celebrations.
Mr Francesco Lenzi, a 20-year-old ski enthusiast from Milan, said more cities should follow Courmayeur’s example.
“I have often witnessed the use of flaming objects in bars and discos in Courmayeur and elsewhere,” he told Reuters. REUTERS
