The regional police received the alarm call on Saturday, 9 March 2019, shortly before 5.30am, according to a press release from the Obersimmental-Saanenland District Administration Office and the Bern Cantonal Police. The building that caught fire was a residential and commercial premises on Saanen's Dorfstrasse and it had only been built a few years ago. The Saanen and Château-d'Oex fire brigades were immediately dispatched and, once on site, they established that the fire had taken hold in a second-floor apartment.

The fire brigades were able to quickly bring the fire under control and finally extinguished it. However, the apartment was completely destroyed. Another apartment on the same floor is also currently uninhabitable due to smoke damage. Temporary housing has been found for the residents concerned. According to commander Christian Brand, nobody was injured in the fire. All residents in the building made their own way out in time. An ambulance team was in attendance as a precautionary measure. During the incident, Dorfstrasse had to be closed for 45 minutes.

"At the moment, we're unable to comment on the cause of the fire," said the commander of the fire brigade. Fire investigators were on site to start looking into the causes of the fire. The apartment destroyed in the fire was a 1 bedroom apartment.

Based on AvS/Blanca Burri
Translated by Justine Hewson