A New Year’s Eve celebration in the glamorous Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana turned into one of the deadliest disasters in modern Swiss history when a fire ripped through the popular Le Constellation nightclub shortly after midnight on January 1, 2026. The blaze claimed at least 40 lives, injured more than 100 people, and left survivors and families grappling with unimaginable loss. Amid the horror, one ordinary man emerged as an extraordinary hero: 55-year-old Paolo Campolo, a Swiss-Italian financial analyst and father, who risked everything to save strangers after a frantic phone call from his own daughter.

The evening began festively. Le Constellation, a trendy basement bar known for its upscale crowd and New Year’s parties, was packed with hundreds of revelers—many young locals, tourists, and families ringing in the new year with champagne and music. Investigators later determined the fire likely started when sparkling candles atop champagne bottles ignited flammable decorations or materials near the ceiling, causing rapid spread through the confined space. Thick smoke filled the venue almost instantly, trapping people inside as panic set in.

Paolo Campolo was hosting a small gathering at his nearby home with his fiancée when he noticed an orange glow through the window. At around 1:20 a.m., his phone rang. It was his 17-year-old daughter, Paolina. She had been running late for the countdown at Le Constellation—delayed by family plans—and was waiting outside to enter when the fire erupted. In a voice trembling with terror, she told her father: “Dad, there’s been a massacre, there’s a fire, and there are many injured.” Her boyfriend and friends were inside, trapped.

That call changed everything. Campolo, without a second thought, grabbed a fire extinguisher from his home and ran the short distance to the bar. Flames were already billowing from windows and the roof. Screams echoed through the night as people tried to escape the main exits, which quickly became bottlenecks in the smoke and heat. Campolo focused on a side emergency door that appeared blocked or jammed—perhaps by debris or panicked crowds pushing from inside.

Witnesses described him forcing the door open with brute strength, then reaching in to pull people out one after another. “I pulled kids out with my bare hands. One after the other. They were alive but injured, many of them seriously,” he later told Italian media outlet Il Messaggero. He estimated saving at least 10 young people—mostly teenagers—who might otherwise have perished in the inferno. His actions created a vital escape route in those critical early minutes before professional firefighters arrived in force.

Campolo’s daughter Paolina was spared because of the delay that kept her outside. “It was our fault she was late: She should have been at that club already at midnight. Today I can say it without exaggeration, that delay saved her life,” he reflected. While his family remained safe, the heroism extended far beyond them. By opening the blocked door, he gave trapped revelers a chance to breathe fresh air and flee the toxic smoke that claimed so many victims through burns, smoke inhalation, and crush injuries.

The fire’s toll was devastating. Authorities identified victims including teenagers as young as 14, with several children among the dead. Families shared heartbreaking tributes on social media: one mother mourned her 16-year-old son who had joined friends for what should have been a joyful night. Survivors spoke of unimaginable scenes—people so badly burned that only teeth were recognizable, others forcing windows open with furniture to escape. First responders, including local fire chief David Vocat, praised the initial civilian efforts: “In the first minutes it was citizens—and in large part young people—who saved lives with their courage.”

Investigations quickly turned to the bar’s management and safety compliance. The owners faced scrutiny over potential negligence, including blocked exits, inadequate fire suppression, and the use of hazardous decorations. Criminal charges of manslaughter and arson by negligence were considered. Swiss authorities emphasized that while the spark may have been accidental, questions remained about why the fire spread so rapidly and why escape routes failed.

Campolo, a dual Italian-Swiss citizen working in finance, downplayed his role in interviews. He described acting on instinct as any parent would—driven by the sound of his daughter’s voice and the sight of flames threatening lives so close to home. Yet media across Europe and beyond hailed him as a true hero. Headlines called him the “hero dad” who turned personal fear into selfless action. His story offered a glimmer of hope in an otherwise tragic event, reminding the world that courage can emerge from the most ordinary people in the darkest moments.

The Crans-Montana community, known for its luxury chalets and celebrity visitors, was shattered. Vigils filled the streets, candles lit in memory of the lost. Funds were established for victims’ families, and counseling services expanded. The disaster prompted nationwide reviews of nightclub safety standards, especially in tourist-heavy alpine regions.

For Paolo Campolo, the night left lasting scars—not physical, but emotional. He spoke of the faces he pulled from the smoke, the gratitude mixed with grief. His daughter’s survival became a bittersweet anchor. In the aftermath, he urged others to check smoke alarms, know escape routes, and never hesitate in emergencies.

The Le Constellation fire stands as a stark reminder of how quickly joy can turn to tragedy—and how one person’s bravery, sparked by a single phone call, can alter fates. As Switzerland mourns, Paolo Campolo’s actions endure as proof that heroism often arrives not in capes, but in the determined run of a father toward danger.