A libertarian law professor who responded to FIRE’s recent <a href="https://www.fire.org/research-learn/free-expression-climate-self-censorship-national-survey-american-law-faculty">national survey of law faculty</a> offered a striking admission:
<blockquote>
Whether justified or unjustified, I regularly hide beliefs from colleagues who are openly discussing important topics in the public interest out of fear of retaliation, particularly as a junior faculty member.
</blockquote>
No administrator had disciplined him. No student had filed a complaint. Yet, by his own admission, he and another colleague routinely conceal their views at faculty meetings and other public events, not because anyone ordered them to stay silent, but because they worry that candor can exact professional costs.
That kind of silence is tricky to measure, but carries serious implications. And new data suggest it is relatively common in American law schools.
For a <a href="https://www.fire.org/research-learn/free-expression-climate-self-censorship-national-survey-american-law-faculty">report</a> released this week, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) surveyed 1,959 law faculty at 192 ABA-approved law schools. The findings reveal a profession caught in a contradiction: law professors overwhelmingly endorse free expression in principle, yet many describe an academic culture that discourages them from practicing it.
That should alarm anyone who cares about legal education. Law schools are supposed to be places that train students to make arguments they may not personally believe, stress-test ideas against the strongest opposing case, and examine precedents, doctrines, and historical cases that may offend some modern sensibilities. But that model depends on faculty willing to speak frankly and institutions willing to tolerate dissent.
More than half of the law faculty surveyed (56%) report that they at least occasionally feel unable to express their opinion because of how students, colleagues, or administrators might respond. And that number becomes even more striking when ideology is taken into account. Conservative law faculty, who are outnumbered three to one in the sample, were more likely than their liberal colleagues to report self-censoring (72% versus 50%), and three times as many conservatives, compared to liberals, reported at least occasionally hiding their political beliefs from other faculty in an attempt to keep their job (52% versus 17%).
The survey also found clear asymmetries in perceptions of institutional fit. While majorities of law faculty said a liberal individual would fit well in their law school, far fewer said the same about a conservative individual.
As one law professor put it:
<blockquote>
In my law school, students get only half the story in most of their courses. There are no conservatives as full-time professors, and only a few moderates. Students who are moderate to conservative rarely share their views in class.
</blockquote>
And this same professor connected that climate directly to his own choices:
<blockquote>
For the past 15 years, I&#8217;ve seen our law students become less prepared for the adversarial nature of legal practice. I&#8217;m partly to blame, as I have modified my exams and exercises to avoid potentially controversial fact patterns and claims.
</blockquote>
That self-indictment — “I’m partly to blame” — isn’t a complaint about administrators or colleagues (though they could be the other part). Rather, it’s an acknowledgment that retreating from difficulty is something he’s done, incrementally, over many years. All within the context of diminishing ideological diversity. Multiplied across a profession, that accumulation of small adjustments doesn’t just reflect the culture of law schools. It creates one.
Another law professor, a self-described strong Democrat, described the specific calculus self-censorship dynamics produce in his classes:
<blockquote>
I teach cases without ever saying what actually happened in the case because I&#8217;m afraid to say those words (notably some First Amendment cases address words I didn&#8217;t even know were slurs before reading the case).
</blockquote>
A First Amendment professor, self-censoring while teaching First Amendment cases. By this professor’s honest admission, we can see how his students are learning about free speech firsthand, but in this case by what isn’t being said. They are watching their professor decide that engagement with certain material is too risky, and filing that lesson away.
This is how habits can form and a culture can shift. Not necessarily through any speech code or disciplinary action (though it can come from there too). But through hesitation and daily acts of omission that students observe, absorb, and over time likely begin to mimic themselves.
Law students go on to become lawyers who argue cases in court, prosecutors who decide what charges to bring, judges who make rulings, policymakers who debate and enact laws and regulations. What they learn in law school isn’t just the law. It’s instinct. Habits. Principles. How to respond when an idea is uncomfortable. What to do when they’re on the unpopular side of an issue. Where to turn when silence is the path of least resistance.
In February 2024, the American Bar Association adopted <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/legal_education_and_admissions_to_the_bar/guidance-memos/2025/25-april-standard-208-guidance-memo.pdf">Standard 208</a>, which requires law schools to adopt, publish, and adhere to written policies that protect academic freedom and encourage free expression. More than 9 in 10 law faculty support free expression policies. But the professor who hides his views at faculty meetings already knows his school has a free expression policy. The policy is not the problem, and though it is a good step, it isn’t the complete solution either.
What we see from our new data from law faculty is that the culture within law schools appears to have taken a concerning turn. And written commitments alone don’t change cultures; people do. Through individual decisions about whether to speak or stay quiet. To participate in a debate, or pass. To publicly defend a colleague, or only offer private condolences. To prepare students for their professional careers by teaching the messy topics, or avoiding them in hopes of receiving better student evaluations. These decision points provide opportunities for faculty to model courage or model calculation.
Right now, for too many law faculty, silence appears to be winning… and their students are watching.
***
Nathan Honeycutt is a research fellow and manager of polling and analytics at FIRE.

Lady Justice and Censorship

Law Professors Say They Support Free Speech. Many Are Afraid To Practice It.

DW Opinion

Fire

Free Speech

Law schools

A trailer carrying fireworks ignited a pre-Fourth of July spectacle on Saturday evening, forcing authorities to shut down a Tennessee highway.
The Chattanooga Fire Department shared a video of the flaming trailer, which showed pyrotechnic sparks flying in all directions on the northbound Interstate 75 past the Ooltewah exit. 
The Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department was also on the scene, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tricommunityvolunteerfire">said</a>, &#8220;As a precaution, both northbound and southbound lanes of I-75 were temporarily shut down due to ongoing firework explosions and to allow fire apparatus safe access to the scene,&#8221; leaving traffic at a standstill. 
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;">  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 400px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/2iTlOWQI01Mp003tf201FPYb76QMokvRXpI?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=63bd6e65-1ebd-4415-bca3-522f76e5fd17&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Exploding%20fireworks%20and%20a%20highway%20full%20of%20cars%20created%20a%20nig&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F74e929f1-eaef-4177-9134-618ffd2a4c38.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
&nbsp;
 The department “received mutual aid assistance from Chattanooga Fire Department at the scene, along with fill-in coverage from Catoosa County [Georgia] and Highway 58 fire departments to help maintain emergency response coverage throughout our district.”
A spokesman for the Chattanooga Fire Department <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/video-captures-fireworks-exploding-burning-trailer-shut-interstate-75?lid=n0smsdify2wp">told</a> Fox News that northbound lanes were closed longer than the southbound lanes as crews monitored the scene and cleared the scorched trailer from the highway.
Authorities have not released any information on the cause of the fire or where the trailer was being transported. No injuries were reported. 
<a href="https://www.tn.gov/commerce/fire/permit/licensing/fireworks/applications-resources/displays.html">According</a> to Tennessee law, “Consumer” fireworks can be “used without a display permit, as long as local authorities have approved any necessary safety measures,” whereas larger “Professional” fireworks require a “Fireworks Display Permit with the State of Tennessee.”

fireworks

WATCH: Fireworks Erupt From Burning Trailer, Forcing Highway Shutdown

Fireworks

Tennessee

Traffic

A police officer&#8217;s body-worn camera captured the dramatic moment when he caught a baby who was thrown from the second floor of a burning home.
The officer was responding to a <a href="https://www.woodtv.com/news/kalamazoo-county/kdps-officer-catches-baby-during-escape-from-house-fire/">house fire</a> in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and was able to locate a woman and her baby trapped on the second floor at the rear of the home. Upon learning that the woman was unable to get downstairs with the baby, he instructed her to kick out the window screen and throw the baby down to him.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;THROW ME YOUR KID&#8221;: A police officer yelled up to a woman trapped on the top floor of a house before catching the baby in midair and helping the woman escape. <a href="https://t.co/xEYaZoMIF3">https://t.co/xEYaZoMIF3</a> <a href="https://t.co/ChCBVTlJ7f">pic.twitter.com/ChCBVTlJ7f</a>
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WFLA/status/2057097098286285073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Ma&#8217;am,&#8221; the officer shouted as sirens screamed in the background. &#8220;Throw me your kid! Kick out the screen! Kick out the screen!&#8221;
The video showed the woman attempting to kick the screen free from the window frame. A dispatcher could be heard on the radio, relaying information about the fire: &#8220;We do have entrapment.&#8221;
&#8220;Oh my God. I got contact on the B side,&#8221; the officer said into his two-way. &#8220;She&#8217;s trying to get the kid out the window, second story.&#8221;
Turning back to the window, he called to the woman again and urged her to drop the child. &#8220;Come here, okay, hang on &#8230; okay &#8230; I got it!&#8221;
The baby then appeared in the frame, safe in the arms of the waiting police officer.
&#8220;Ma&#8217;am! Ma&#8217;am! Come out,&#8221; he said, and then into the radio, &#8220;Can I get someone on the B side? I got the baby.&#8221;
Other officers brought a ladder around the house so that the woman could climb down to safety. She was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation but sustained no injuries. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety stated that the cause of the fire was still under investigation, and noted that part of the roof had to be removed in order for them to fully extinguish the fire in the attic.

Screenshot/Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety

WATCH: The Moment Police Officer Catches Baby Thrown From Burning Home

baby

Police

Rescue

Pedestrians could be seen running in all directions as a vehicle caught fire, then exploded during rush hour on Tuesday evening, just a block away from New York City&#8217;s famous Charging Bull statue.
Several videos caught the wild blaze as it quickly engulfed the car — which appeared to be affiliated with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) — and the ensuing explosion that sent onlookers scattering to get away from the billowing smoke.
&#8220;Dramatic moment car explodes in huge fireball near Wall Street&#8217;s iconic Charging Bull statue,&#8221; The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/20/us-news/car-explodes-near-wall-streets-charging-bull-video/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter">captioned</a> a video shared via X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dramatic moment car explodes in huge fireball near Wall Street&#8217;s iconic Charging Bull statue <a href="https://t.co/mkhlN6eZjq">https://t.co/mkhlN6eZjq</a> <a href="https://t.co/3c01DpqX9G">pic.twitter.com/3c01DpqX9G</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2057118321057689853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Several other videos shared across X showed the blaze from different angles.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Story here 👉️ <a href="https://t.co/iAyKRfJO1I">https://t.co/iAyKRfJO1I</a> A car caught fire and exploded Tuesday evening in Lower Manhattan, sending thick black smoke into the air near the Charging Bull. Videos from the scene show the car, which appeared to be MTA-affiliated, parked on the side of the road before… <a href="https://t.co/bGVe9JRg3l">pic.twitter.com/bGVe9JRg3l</a>
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC7NY/status/2057081277979693440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
The vehicle initially caught fire while parked outside the MTA&#8217;s headquarters on Broadway near Stone Street. The New York City Police and Fire Departments responded to reports about a car on fire at 5:42 p.m., according to local reporting, and firefighters reportedly extinguished the flames by around 7 p.m.
No injuries were reported despite the magnitude of the blast, and city officials are investigating the cause of the fire.
The New York Post confirmed that the vehicle did belong to the MTA, but said that all questions about the ongoing investigation should be directed to the FDNY.

US-NEWS-NYC-ROOSEVELT-ISLAND-EXPLOSIONS-NY

WATCH: Pedestrians Run For Their Lives As Flaming Vehicle Explodes In Massive Cloud Of Smoke

Pedestrians Flee As Flaming Vehicle Explodes In Massive Cloud Of Smoke

Explosion

New York City

The suspect accused of starting one of the largest wildfires in Los Angeles history, fixated on Luigi Mangione weeks before starting the blaze out of resentment for the rich, according to federal prosecutors. 
Federal prosecutors said in a trial memorandum that 30-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht demonstrated an obsession with Mangione in the days before he started the Lachman and Palisades Fires on January 1, 2025. Mangione has developed a cult following among the Left after he was arrested for gunning down Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
“On January 24, 2025, when investigators asked defendant why someone might commit arson in the Pacific Palisades, he responded that it would be out of resentment of the rich enjoying their money as ‘we’re basically being enslaved by them’ and compared such an act of ‘desperation’ to the murder for which Mangione was charged,” the memo said. 
The memo added that Uber passengers who rode with Rinderknecht on December 31 and January 1 recounted him being “angry, intense, driving erratically, and ranting about being ‘pissed off at the world’ and Luigi Mangione, capitalism, and vigilantism.”
Prosecutors described Rinderknecht becoming “fixated” on Mangione in the weeks leading up to the fires, saying his internet search history revealed queries like “free Luigi Mangione,” “lets take down all the billionaires,” and “reddit lets kill all the billionaires.”
Rinderknecht has been charged with destroying property by fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and setting timber afire. Facing over forty years in prison, he has pleaded not guilty. 
&#8220;Millings of people in this country are fascinated with Luigi Mangione. To suggest that is a connection to the crime of ours is ridiculousarson is ridiculous [SIC],&#8221; Steve Haney, Rinderknecht&#8217;s lawyer, told The Daily Wire. &#8220;These are the depths that the government are going to in the absence of any evidence of my client committed a crime.&#8221;
The memo said that Rinderknecht had an obsession with fire and had previously burned a Bible. 
“A few months before the fire, defendant asked ChatGPT — an AI system that he used as a confidant and diary — to generate and then modify images of a ‘burning forest’ next to ‘a bunch of people running away,’” prosecutors said. “Defendant also confided to ChatGPT that he had burned a bible and that it felt ‘liberating.’ Later, after he knew he was under investigation for the fire, defendant threatened to burn down his sister’s house.”
Mangione is currently facing charges related to the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. While a judge dismissed federal murder charges against Mangione, he still faces second-degree New York murder charges. In the wake of Mangione’s arrest, leftist activists have called for his release, claiming he was targeting an exploitative corporation.

MixCollage-04-May-2026-09-14-AM-5387

Major Arson Suspect Obsessed Over Luigi Mangione And Wanted To Kill The Rich, Prosecutors Say

California

Los Angeles

Luigi Mangione

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared an emergency on Friday for 91 counties in his state, where authorities are battling two major wildfires that have caused record property damage as more than 120 homes and other buildings have gone up in flames.
The Highway 82 and Pineland Road fires &#8211; one sparked by a party balloon, the other by a welder&#8217;s torch &#8211; are by far the fiercest among dozens of blazes ravaging the drought-stricken Georgia countryside and neighboring states of Florida, South Carolina, and Alabama in recent days.
No casualties were reported in Georgia, which has borne the brunt of the wildfires. But a volunteer firefighter died on Thursday evening after suffering an unspecified medical emergency while fighting a brush fire in northern Florida, according to various news media reports.
The conflagrations were primed by a confluence of climate extremes gripping the Southeast, authorities said.
Unusually sparse rainfall this spring following heavy vegetation growth in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene last fall has created a fuel bed of drought-parched timber and brush now posing the kind of wildfire hazards more typical for the Western United States in summer.
&#8220;We are in extreme drought conditions, and wildfire activity has already surpassed our five-year average,&#8221; Georgia Forestry Commission Director Johnny Sabo said in a video message posted online. &#8220;Right now conditions are so dry that even one small spark can quickly turn into a dangerous wildfire.&#8221;
As of Friday night, the Highway 82 and Pineland blazes had scorched more than 39,500 acres (16,000 hectares) combined, incinerating at least 122 homes and other structures, state forestry officials said. The tally of destruction marked the biggest property loss from a single fire event in Georgia&#8217;s history, the governor told a press conference.
Nearly 1,000 more homes remained threatened, he said.
Fires are scattered across Georgia, with the two biggest clustered in the southeast near the Florida border, roughly 250 miles (400 km) southeast of Atlanta, the state&#8217;s capital and largest city.
News footage of the fires showed walls of pine trees engulfed in flames, and Kemp described &#8220;fire that is burning to the top of trees and burning from one treetop to another.&#8221;
With firefighters and water-dropping aircraft struggling to halt the advance of the flames, crews were trying to protect homes still in harm&#8217;s way, Kemp said.
Teams had managed to carve containment lines around 10% of the perimeters of each of the two major fires, forestry officials said.
In a move aimed at hastening and consolidating Georgia&#8217;s disaster response, Kemp declared a state of emergency in 91 of Georgia&#8217;s 159 counties. Sabo announced a 30-day ban on the outdoor burning of refuse, agricultural waste or campfires in the same counties, the first such restriction in the state&#8217;s history.
The origin of the two biggest blazes illustrated how a small ignition source could touch off catastrophic fires.
Investigators determined that the Highway 82 blaze began on Monday, when an aluminum-coated balloon landed on a transmission line, triggering an electrical spark that ignited surrounding vegetation.
The Pineland Road fire, burning since April 18, was touched off by a stray spark from a welding operation that fell to the forest floor, authorities said.
Authorities said they expected extreme fire conditions to persist through the weekend, with gusty winds and little chance of rain in the forecast.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by William Mallard)

Firefighter

Stray Spark And Aluminum Balloon: Georgia Declares State Of Emergency As Wildfires Rage In South

Brian Kemp

Georgia

Natural Disaster

U.S.

Free speech isn’t free at Texas universities. Apparently, it comes with strings attached, or at least that’s what I was told when I tried to host a pro-life event that got so derailed, I had to call on Students for Life of America’s (SFLA) attorneys for a demand letter to try and get it back on track.
It&#8217;s not just me. Students at the University of Texas, both at Dallas and Austin, <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.fire.org*2Fcases*2Ffellowship-christian-university-students-university-texas-dallas-v-eltife&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563320391*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=dtwwVKn*2B7xobXYzqajEbrkoh5HCW2yQ9KzvUpM4bZnU*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AcuVwNDD$">are suing</a> the University of Texas system after being censored when schools used a Texas law as an excuse to limit free speech on college campuses. While the law is not currently enforceable, college campuses across Texas are still holding strong to their censorship regime — and it&#8217;s up to students to stand up for their rights.
My story began <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fstudentsforlife.org*2F2026*2F04*2F16*2Ffree-speech-in-name-only-how-ut-austin-is-preventing-my-student-group-from-speaking-up-for-life*2F&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563353206*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=e8RMiNBNMTNvEhywCUtnjeGTk91xp6Ut*2FmysB6LmWgw*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AT4BsCBy$">when I tried to host</a> a speaker on campus at the University of Texas as part of my SFLA activities. Rather than welcoming pro-life voices, the university demanded almost complete disassociation from SFLA for the event to go on, which made the event itself virtually impossible.
More specifically, the office told my group that our event could not include branded or promotional materials featuring both the outside organization and my student organization, Horns for Life; help managing the event; filming for social media; or co-sponsorship with SFLA or any off-campus organization.
That not only impacted my free speech rights, but my freedom of association, too.
In 2019, when Texas passed <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fcapitol.texas.gov*2FBillLookup*2FHistory.aspx*3FLegSess*3D86R*26Bill*3DSB18&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563396873*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=2AtQpIrbbtYNbU9928Xk5Ce1V*2F0kaoX7X6S88V6pMqE*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AT4TymyG$">Senate Bill 18</a>, it reinforced <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.congress.gov*2Fcrs_external_products*2FLSB*2FHTML*2FLSB10438.web.html&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563716854*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=0Ikog9aHx*2F*2BTRI1Hd*2FIaOF5Tv00HLGpukZuopplhmec*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AXDU25Tu$">Supreme Court precedent</a> that outdoor campus spaces are public forums, thereby ensuring free speech protections at universities. In a total betrayal of these values, Texas passed <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.capitol.texas.gov*2Ftlodocs*2F89R*2Fbilltext*2Fhtml*2FSB02972F.htm&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563753706*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=6JsTyqVn9QKarsTn9xQlqdGZFCPXSqtmSTYTXV8fzvA*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AakeQ9It$">Senate Bill 2972</a>, or the Campus Protection Act, in September 2025 under the guise of protecting campuses from disruptions and preserving safety during &#8220;end-of-term&#8221; periods and even during specific times of the day.
The Campus Protection Act stopped students from engaging in acts of speech between 10 pm and 8 am, as well as from bringing guest speakers, amplifying sound, or using percussive instruments at demonstrations in the final two weeks of each semester. It is extremely broad, even disallowing student speech in private conversations, whether in dorm rooms or outdoor meeting spaces.
“The First Amendment doesn’t set when the sun goes down,” <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.fire.org*2Fnews*2Flawsuit-texas-bans-first-amendment-public-universities-after-dark&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563782445*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=HEWBXSC*2Fhwx*2BevsjFIdxTtMbqSIAgPUB8HyXIE8*2Fo7g*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-ARkj-qwy$">said FIRE senior supervising attorney</a> JT Morris. “University students have expressive freedom whether it’s midnight or midday, and Texas can’t just legislate those constitutional protections out of existence.”
The bill was so unprecedented and broad that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas issued an injunction <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.fire.org*2Fnews*2Fvictory-federal-court-halts-texas-no-first-amendment-after-dark-campus-speech-ban&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563806965*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=7lyWqt1IQI12zcaFa09*2FX18T*2B8bYA8g1mtYVoxfCsUY*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AXgQLXpH$">stopping the law from being enforced</a> only a month later.
Despite the injunction, Texas universities continue to use these rules at the campus policy level. UT Austin cites SB 2972 as a justification for their policy that “states that a guest speaker may not staff a table or set up exhibits.”
Not only is pro-life speech being targeted, but religious speech and expression as well.
A group of students has sued the UT system and its various representatives on behalf of their Texas college groups, including <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fanyfocus.org*2Fut-dallasabout*2F&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563827587*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=10DzF9ua0ems*2Fv6r2pUNa7R2NCSTEvMT39b8EOvqKu8*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AaH94gSd$">The Fellowship of Christian University Students at UT-Dallas,</a> after they were <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.fire.org*2Fnews*2Flawsuit-texas-bans-first-amendment-public-universities-after-dark&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563845212*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=81BT5sQASX2Am2oAbSw8QqBI3F9I8zpii4CCpOrfB8A*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AZIZuNqu$">prevented from bringing a minister</a> to campus to pray for them during their class finals.
Texas Woman’s University <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Ftwu.edu*2Fdean-of-students*2Fon-campus-free-speech*2F&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563861696*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=QxqF1fMSVVmEqVQ6S9YMFl30Hhf3aQFPtddVwfx6GEw*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AZofybQy$">enacted regulations on free speech,</a> calling it a “limited public forum.” The school placed limits on the times, places, and methods in which students can demonstrate on campus <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fpublic.powerdms.com*2FTWU1*2Fdocuments*2F1745744&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563879914*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=JrNy4CupwORxR0Rmvy2W7WemASJ882EPoCMuSXltjcM*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-AZcH0uUL$">while telling them</a> “nothing in this policy may be construed to limit or infringe on a person’s right to freedom protected by the United States and Texas Constitutions,” as if the rules do not inherently do exactly this. Texas Tech University’s Lubbock campus also has <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.yahoo.com*2Fnews*2Farticles*2Ftexas-tech-free-speech-policy-172434017.html&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7Cae0cee521ae1404d4ffe08dea14d89f3*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639125551563896751*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=c2DWOzTb5QmJ5ujYoCvwua7v2CKCf41fUBiC3W*2FmR*2FY*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJQ!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!0i32ArPoKX2-mdXVxc7iuAHJ4NhaXGwgerdqxyBS4y8AQGn5PgFiv_nhctfg-IW_6ARf_artpEf-ASiBSwsP$">similar rules</a> now coming under fire.
While it is always advisable to follow campus rules, that does not mean Texas students cannot challenge them in the courts or otherwise.
Disallowing all guest speakers, claiming a limited public forum, imposing time limits, and limiting amplified sound all have precedent for being deemed impermissible in certain circumstances, especially if the university is using Senate Bill 2972 as an excuse to enforce these rules.
Using field representatives or coordinators from affiliate organizations to assist students in challenging university decisions against student organizations is a great first step. SFLA staff are equipped and eager to help our students. Additionally, reaching out to organizations like <a href="https://www.fire.org/">FIRE</a> allows student groups without resources from a larger organization to seek help navigating <a href="https://www.fire.org/defending-your-rights/legal-support">legal routes</a> addressing free speech challenges.
A university is a place to experience new ideas, diverse opinions, and freedom of discourse. The acts of tabling on campus and hosting speakers are not separate from this mission.
These unconstitutional rules do not disappear on their own. To see students’ free speech rights protected on university campuses again, students must speak up against the injustices happening on their campus and beyond — and the courts must follow their lead.
***
Tiffany Lomax is a senior student at the University of Texas at Austin. She serves as president of the Horns for Life chapter, where she is involved in pro-life advocacy and organizing events on campus.

Schwarzenegger Skips Debate To Rally Before Students

The Texas College Students Fighting Back Against Free Speech Censors

College

Students for Life of America (SFLA)

A one-million-square-foot warehouse in Southern California went up in flames early Tuesday morning in what authorities believe was an arson attack.
The warehouse in Ontario, California, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, belonged to personal care company Kimberly-Clark and was completely destroyed in the blaze. Around 20 people were inside when the fire first began around 12:30 a.m., but there have been no reported injuries.
One person has been arrested on suspicion of arson, according to officials.
Authorities released drone footage showing the scale of the fire.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UPDATE: Ontario Police Department drone footage <a href="https://t.co/lwVSYDjrN5">pic.twitter.com/lwVSYDjrN5</a>
— San Bernardino County Fire (@SBCOUNTYFIRE) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBCOUNTYFIRE/status/2041467261555478647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The first fire crew responded within eight minutes of the initial call and found &#8220;light smoke throughout the structure and what they believed was a small fire being contained by the operating fire protection system or sprinkler system,&#8221; according to Ontario Deputy Fire Chief Mike Wedell. As firefighters worked to douse the flames inside the warehouse, they were &#8220;quickly overrun by fire that rapidly spread throughout this enormous warehouse,&#8221; Wedell said.
Fire crews entered the building after a warehouse worker was initially reported missing during the evacuation. The missing employee was eventually located, officials said. Ontario police identified the suspected arsonist as a male Kimberly-Clark employee, though it remains unclear whether he was the individual initially reported missing.
Some people near the warehouse said they heard a loud boom shortly before the fire broke out, ABC 7 Los Angeles <a href="https://abc7.com/post/massive-fire-tears-warehouse-ontario/18851549/">reported</a>.
&#8220;Very early on, we identified this fire as suspicious in nature,&#8221; Wedell told reporters, adding, &#8220;There was a person of interest identified from the very initial response of this incident.&#8221;
Kimberly-Clark specializes in producing hygiene paper products, including toilet paper, facial tissues, baby wipes, and feminine hygiene products.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a large fire load of paper products inside of this building,&#8221; the deputy fire chief added. Fire crews will remain on the scene throughout Tuesday as they continue to extinguish the blaze.

San Bernardino County Fire

Massive California Warehouse Destroyed In Suspected Arson Attack

<div class="mh-auto overflow-hidden mh-none--print" data-qa-component="collapsable-content">
<div class="font-knowledge regular line-height-1-5 color-black f6 pt16 pb20 border-bottom border-gray-22 story-copy" dir="auto" data-qa-component="item-story">
Two people who ran a Swiss bar that burst into flames during a New Year&#8217;s Eve party, killing 40, are under criminal investigation on suspicion of offenses including homicide by negligence, prosecutors said on Saturday.
Two days after the fire, in which 119 people suffered injuries including severe burns, officials were still trying to identify many of those killed and attention turned to how one of Switzerland&#8217;s worst tragedies could have occurred.
The bar&#8217;s two operators are suspected of offenses including homicide by negligence, causing bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, prosecutors in Valais, the canton that is home to the bar in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana, said in a statement. They did not name the pair.
&#8220;It was an enormous tragedy. We&#8217;re all so sorry that this had to happen,&#8221; Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans told reporters, standing in front of the cordoned-off bar, Le Constellation.
He said temperatures during the blaze must have reached &#8220;500, 600 degrees (Celsius, 900-1,100 Fahrenheit)&#8221;.
Reuters was not immediately able to contact the bar&#8217;s owners for comment or reach the prosecutors to verify whether they were the people referred to.
Responding to the news of the criminal probe, residents still grieving over the sudden loss of life said it was important authorities get to the bottom of the case.
&#8220;We need a moment to reflect,&#8221; said one, Patricia Mazzoni, 55. &#8220;But afterwards, I&#8217;d like an independent investigation. An independent investigation to find out who failed here.&#8221;
Witnesses reported seeing staff at Le Constellation carrying so-called fountain candles atop bottles of champagne, and questions have also arisen about a foam material used to soundproof the ceiling of the basement where revelers danced.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Beatrice Pilloud, chief prosecutor of Valais, said indications were that the fire started because the sparklers got too near to the ceiling.
&#8220;From there, a rapid, very rapid and widespread blaze ensued,&#8221; she said on Friday afternoon.
Investigations will look at renovations made to the bar, the fire extinguishing systems and escape routes, as well as the number of people inside when the blaze began, prosecutors said.
Police arrived quickly at the scene, according to local residents, but the fire burned victims so severely that investigators said they would need days to identify the bodies.
Illustrating the painstaking nature of that work, the Valais prosecutors&#8217; office said on Saturday that the police had identified the bodies of four Swiss victims aged between 16 and 21 &#8211; two female and two male &#8211; and returned them to their families. It did not name them.
On Friday, officials had only identified one of the dead, a teenage Italian international golfer, Emanuele Galeppini.
According to two people familiar with the investigation, some of the victims may be under 16.
Local residents said the bar was popular with young people and the Swiss government said many of the dead were likely youths. Beer and wine can be drunk from age 16 in Switzerland.
One of the bar&#8217;s two owners, Jacques Moretti, told the Tribune de Geneve newspaper that Le Constellation had been checked three times in 10 years and that everything was done according to the rules.
Stephane Ganzer, head of security in Valais, said the investigation would determine if the bar had undergone its annual building inspections, but that the town had not raised concerns or reported defects to the canton.
(Reporting by Dave Graham, Emma Farge, Tassilo Hummel and Benoit Van Overstraeten, Francois Murphy and Horaci GarciaEditing by Lisa Shumaker and Susan Fenton, Kirsten Donovan)
</div>
</div>

Swiss Prosecutors Investigate Pair Who Ran Bar Over Deadly Blaze

Disasters

General

Switzerland

World

The fire that killed at least 40 people at a ski resort in Switzerland on New Year&#8217;s Eve was caused by sparklers, according to Swiss officials.
In a press conference Friday, officials said it appears as though the fire was ignited by sparklers on top of champagne bottles that were too close to the ceiling. Officials described the fire as a &#8220;flashover event,&#8221; meaning the entire room caught fire almost instantly.
At least 40 people died in the fire and 119 more are in the hospital as of Friday morning, some with serious injuries.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning in Valais at Le Constellation, a bar at the Swiss ski resort Crans-Montana.
Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud said officials are looking into any criminal activity related to the fire. Pilloud said if criminal activity was involved, investigations will be opened for fire negligence, homicide by negligence, and injuries by negligence.
Pilloud said investigators are also looking into the building&#8217;s regulations and safety measures, as well as how many people were inside the building when the fire broke out.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
&#8220;The investigations will focus on the renovation work that had been carried out in the bar, the materials used, the licensing arrangements, the safety and security arrangements, fire extinguishers, emergency exits, and other firefighting equipment,&#8221; the attorney general added.
But the first priority is identifying the victims and bringing closure to families.
Authorities said Friday it could be days before the identities of those killed are revealed. Officials are looking into dental and DNA records because some of the bodies are unrecognizable from the burns.
Of those injured who have been formally identified, 71 are Swiss, 14 are French, 11 are Italian, and others are from Bosnia, Serbia, Portugal, and Belgium, according to officials.
A witness told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyml77ml7jo">BBC</a> he saw people burning from head to foot as he tried to help people get away from the flames.
Another witness told the BBC that she and her husband were leaving the bar when they saw people screaming and crying while being carried out on stretchers.
Outside the bar, candles and flowers covered the ground in a makeshift shrine to honor the victims.
A vigil will take place January 9 as part of a national day of mourning.

Sparklers To Blame For NYE Bar Fire That Killed Dozens In Switzerland

<div class="mh-auto overflow-hidden mh-none--print" data-qa-component="collapsable-content">
<div class="font-knowledge regular line-height-1-5 color-black f6 pt16 pb20 border-bottom border-gray-22 story-copy" dir="auto" data-qa-component="item-story" data-rc-highlight="story">
Investigators on Friday set about the painful task of identifying the burned bodies of a blaze that engulfed a crowded bar and killed around 40 people at a New Year&#8217;s Eve party in the upscale Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana.
So severe were the burns suffered by the mostly young crowd of revelers in the Le Constellation bar that Swiss officials said it could take days before they name all the victims of the fire that also injured 115, many of them seriously.
Parents of missing youths anxiously issued pleas for news of their loved ones as foreign embassies scrambled to work out if their nationals were among those caught up in one of the worst tragedies to befall modern Switzerland.
&#8220;The first objective is to assign names to all the bodies,&#8221; Crans-Montana&#8217;s mayor Nicolas Feraud told a press conference on Thursday evening. This, he said, could take days.
Mathias Reynard, head of government of the canton of Valais, said experts were using dental and DNA samples for the task.
&#8220;All this work needs to be done because the information is so terrible and sensitive that nothing can be told to the families unless we are 100 percent sure,&#8221; he said.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
What caused the blaze was unclear. Swiss authorities said it appeared to be an accident rather than an attack.
Some accounts from survivors and footage broadcast on social media suggested that the ceiling of the bar&#8217;s basement may have caught fire when sparkling candles got too close.
Residents of Crans-Montana, which has the distinction of being not only a popular draw for skiers, but also golfers, were stunned by the inferno. Many knew victims and some said they were lucky not to have been there themselves.
Hundreds of people stood in silence near the scene as they came to pay their respects to the victims on Thursday night.
&#8220;You think you&#8217;re safe here but this can happen anywhere. They were people like us,&#8221; said Piermarco Pani, an 18-year-old who, like many others in the town, knew the bar well.
Dozens of people left flowers or lit candles on a makeshift altar at the top of the road leading to the bar which police had cordoned off. Some cried, others quietly hugged one another.
Behind the cordon, the bodies of some victims still lay in the bar, police said, as they pledged to work around the clock to identify everyone who succumbed to the blaze.
Kean Sarbach, 17, said he had spoken to four people who escaped from the bar, some with burns, and that they had told him the flames had spread very quickly.
Elisa Sousa, 17, said she was meant to be there but ended up spending the evening at a family gathering instead.
&#8220;And honestly, I&#8217;ll need thank my mother a hundred times for not letting me go,&#8221; she said at the vigil for the victims. &#8220;Because God knows where I&#8217;d be now.&#8221;
(Reporting by Dave Graham and Emma Farge; Editing by Alistair Bell)
</div>
</div>
<div class="border-top border-gray-17 color-orange-dark py16 flex justify-center bold1 color-gray-4 flex pointer no-print" data-qa-component="more-less-toggle"></div>

Fire In Bar At Swiss Ski Resort

Swiss Face Arduous Task Of Identifying Victims Of Deadly Bar Fire

New Year's

What was intended to be a night of celebration turned into a scene of unimaginable horror early Thursday morning, as a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/switzerland-ski-resort-fire-live-intl-hnk">massive fire</a> tore through a crowded nightclub in the elite Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. Authorities say dozens of people are presumed dead, and approximately 100 others have been injured, many of them critically, after a blaze <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/01/world/switzerland-ski-resort-fire">gutted</a> the popular venue &#8220;Le Constellation&#8221; during a New Year’s Eve party.
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. local time in the heart of the exclusive Alpine haven, known for its panoramic views of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. Witnesses described a chaotic and terrifying scene that unfolded in mere seconds. According to accounts provided to CNN affiliate BFMTV, the tragedy may have been sparked by pyrotechnics. Witnesses reported seeing waitresses carrying champagne bottles topped with lit sparklers; in one instance, a server was reportedly standing on another’s shoulders to reach the crowd. The flames reportedly licked the ceiling, igniting the interior almost instantly.
&#8220;Within about ten seconds, the entire nightclub was on fire,&#8221; one survivor recalled. &#8220;We all ran out screaming.&#8221;
The Swiss government launched a massive emergency operation, mobilizing 150 medical personnel, 40 ambulances, and 10 helicopters. The influx of casualties was so great that local operating theaters reached capacity, necessitating the use of three specialized jets to airlift severe burn victims to Zurich.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin, who began his term on Thursday, postponed his scheduled New Year’s address to the nation. &#8220;What should have been a moment of joy turned into a night of mourning,&#8221; he stated, acknowledging the international impact of the disaster given the resort&#8217;s status as a global tourist destination.
Prosecutor General Beatrice Pilloud confirmed that while the cause is under investigation, officials have ruled out terrorism. A no-fly zone has been established over the area to facilitate recovery efforts and forensic identification.
As the sun rose over the Valais Alps, images from the scene revealed the grim aftermath: a charred building skeleton, its furniture and debris destroyed. For now, the glamorous streets of Crans-Montana remain cordoned off as investigators begin the grim task of identifying the victims and returning them to their families.

Fire In Bar At Swiss Ski Resort Of Crans-Montana Kills Dozens

Tragedy In The Alps: Dozens Presumed Dead In Swiss Ski Resort Fire At New Year’s Party

Ski Resort

Menu