Bar operator warned of fire risk years before Crans-Montana tragedy

In December 2019, six years before the devastating fire in Crans-Montana, bar operator Jessica Moretti issued a stark warning to her staff regarding the use of pyrotechnic sparklers. In a WhatsApp message, she instructed personnel to be extremely cautious if guests requested the champagne bottle sparklers, commonly served at the "Le Constellation" bar. "Be careful... because if it falls, onto the sofa or the floor," or if guests held the sparkler "up to the ceiling foam, then Constel will burn...", she wrote.

This specific message was presented to Jessica and Jacques Moretti by the Walliser public prosecutor's office on June 5th during a joint interrogation. The protocol from this session, which West Swiss media first reported on, revealed the exact wording of the message and highlighted new inconsistencies in the bar operators' accounts.

Despite the explicit warning, Jessica Moretti repeatedly asserted during the interrogation that neither she nor her husband were aware of any danger. She claimed not to remember the instruction, interpreting the text as humorous rather than literal. However, at least one recipient of the message understood it literally, replying, "We will be careful, don't worry."

Further complicating matters, Jacques Moretti had also sent a WhatsApp message in 2022 warning about electronic cigarettes, citing "fire risk" and the need to "protect the furniture." When confronted, he described it as a standard precaution. The prosecution, however, remains unconvinced, stating that the bar operators' version of events appears "unlikely" in light of these messages.