Do you need to buy a smoke detector or fire extinguisher in Switzerland?

Shops in Switzerland have reported a surge in sales of smoke detectors and fire extinguishers following a fire at a bar in Crans-Montana, Valais. Let’s take a look at when you are obliged to buy one and when it is unnecessary:

Digitec and Galaxus report increased fire protection equipment sales

Sales figures from online retailers Digitec and Galaxus saw more than double the number of smoke alarms being sold in the first three days of 2026 compared to 2025. “Sales of fire extinguishing products, especially fire blankets, nearly quadrupled. Fire extinguishers themselves sold five times more,” reports Watson.

One Galaxus shopper shared that he purchased six smoke and fire detectors to install in their rented apartment, which currently doesn’t have any. 

The increase in sales comes after a fire at a bar in Crans-Montana on New Year’s Day, which took the lives of 40 people and injured more than 100. Switzerland will hold a national day of mourning on Friday, January 9, with church bells to ring from 2pm and a minute of silence to take place. 

Primus, a company that installs fire extinguishers, has also reported an increase in demand.  "The company's customer service department is receiving countless calls for inspections – especially from establishments like bars and nightclubs," reports Primus technician Olivier von Rotz.

What are Swiss regulations on fire extinguishers and smoke detectors?

Unlike in other European countries such as Germany and the UK, smoke detectors are not mandatory in residential buildings in Switzerland. The Swiss Fire Prevention Council (BFB), an organisation that raises awareness of fire prevention, however, recommends installing them as a precautionary measure. 

The BFB website provides practical tips on where to install smoke detectors and how frequently to get them checked. According to SRF, they are particularly important to consider in older buildings.

The same goes for fire extinguishers, which have not been a legal requirement in homes or apartment blocks since 2015. In public buildings, “mandatory fire extinguishers must be installed in an accessible and visible location,” reports Watson.

What fire safety measures do Swiss buildings have?

“Fire protection in Switzerland is already at a very high level,” says Michael Binz, head of fire protection at the Association of Cantonal Fire Insurers (VKF), as reported by SRF.

Residential and public buildings are structurally designed to include a number of safety measures. These regulations are created by the VKF and implemented by cantons.

For example, buildings are divided into fire compartments to prevent the spread of a fire, fire doors are installed, and escape routes are planned. Regulation varies depending on a building’s age, materials and use. You can read more details on the VKF website.

The VKF has recently announced that plans to update fire safety legislation, which would have included relaxing some rules, have been paused following the fire in Crans-Montana.