Hundreds evacuated after fire spreads through five-star ski resort

The most well-known and prestigious ski area in the Les Trois Vallées ski area in the French Alps, Courchevel is often associated with extreme luxury as the chosen partying place for many celebrities, Middle Eastern royalty, and Russian oligarchs.

During peak ski season, the average hotel room rate often exceeds €1,000 per night, while the ski-in, ski-out log cabins at the Grand Hôtel des Alpes can cost more than €12,000 for one day.

Famous guests at the five-star Grand Hôtel known for its prime location at the very peak of the Courchevel 1850 village have included Prince William and his family, David and Victoria Beckham, and Brigitte Bardot, among countless other celebrities.

On Jan. 27, a fire that began in the wooden attic of the property started to spread and prompted the evacuation of approximately 300 guests and workers, reported France 24. More than 131 firefighters deployed by the Savoie department of France were still working on Jan. 28 to put out clouds of billowing smoke that posed an immediate danger to the rest of the property and nearby structures.

Courchevel hotel fire “very difficult to control,” local officials say

Due to this possibility, guests from the neighboring five-star Hotel Le Lana have also been evacuated throughout the night of Jan. 27 and morning of Jan. 28.

Firefighters on the scene said that the risk of spread to other structures had been prevented by Wednesday afternoon as efforts to put it out completely continue. The hotel was evacuated without any serious injuries to anyone inside.

In a Jan. 28 press conference cited by Le Monde, Savoie Prefer Vanina Nicoli described the fire as “spreading very rapidly” and “very difficult to control.”

“The firefighters have been working tirelessly for 15 hours,” Niccoli said in translation from French, as reported by Le Monde. “They have to work with oxygen tanks. It’s a difficult, intense fire, very demanding for the firefighters.”

Accumulated snow on the roof has also added extra weight that, according to local officials, made extinguishing the fire more challenging. No statement about the potential cause of the fire has been released at this time.

Other hotels in the village offered space for those who needed to be evacuated after they were initially moved to the municipal town hall.

What else to know about the Grand Hôtel des Alpes fire

Local celebrity outlets report that Prince William and Princess Catherine were staying at the Grand Hôtel des Alpes with their children and in-laws Pippa and James Middleton at some point in January, although these reports and the timeline around their visit remain unconfirmed.

The wooden structures of many historic ski chalets pose an extreme risk of fire. On the last New Year’s Eve between the start of 2025 and 2026, a blaze that began in the ‍bar of the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana killed 40 ‌people and left more than 100 with injuries, according to France 24.

Later investigation into the cause of the fire revealed that sparklers attached to champagne bottles to celebrate the new year set off flames after touching a ceiling that was made of highly flammable materials such as wood and acoustic foam.

As the fire spread, many of the casualties occurred among those who ended up trapped in the bar and other sections of the building.