La Plagne fire: hotel burned down overnight, Luxembourg nationals among evacuees

On Wednesday night, at around 2:45am, the French ski resort of La Plagne in the Savoie department found itself at the centre of a massive rescue operation: the facade of the four-star MMV Village Club hotel, located at an altitude of 2,000 metres, suddenly burst into flames and the flames rapidly spread to the roof. Within 15 minutes, 484 people were evacuated, among them Luxembourg nationals.

The sound of an explosion or thud preceding the fire was heard by the husband of one of the guests, Capucine Courau, 45. According to her, the first flames appeared around half past three in the morning. According to another guest, Sophie Cavallier, from Nice, residents of neighbouring houses immediately started bringing blankets and warm clothes: most people ran out of the building in pyjamas and barefoot.

According to Albertville's sub-prefect Bruno Charlot, four people required medical attention - mostly for mild smoke poisoning. Three of them have already been discharged. Amazingly, there was no panic during the evacuation, despite the night time and the cold. "Everyone was in a hurry, but no one was shouting. We were out of the hotel in five minutes," recalls 76-year-old Briton Paul Tucker.

The entire municipal rescue plan was put into action immediately. A gymnasium was opened to temporarily accommodate people, and later Mayor Jean-Luc Boch announced that all evacuees would be accommodated in other La Plagne hotels.

By morning, the fire had been localised, but it had destroyed about 75% of the building. Black puffs of smoke continued to rise into the afternoon until 100 firefighters with the help of 40 pieces of equipment and three aerial platforms completed the job. Their main task was to prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings.

According to Albertville gendarmerie captain Bertrand Cosnay, the exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined. An investigation has been launched.

La Plagne is one of France's most popular winter resorts. The fire, which occurred at the height of the season, was a reminder of how vulnerable even well-organised systems are to force majeure. The co-ordination of services and the local community, as well as the speed of evacuation, helped avoid loss of life - but the scale of the devastation left an emotional scar on visitors and locals alike.