Fire Allegedly Triggered by Wedding Cake Sparkler Causes Venue to Go Up in Flames, Leaving Groom with Second-Degree Burns

NEED TO KNOW

• A groom suffered second-degree burns after a fire broke out at his wedding in Italy in December 2025.

• Fire at Palace Hotel Kristall in Ariano Irpino, Italy, believed to have been started by sparklers

• No other guests were burned, but the venue suffered serious damage and is now listed as permanently closed on Google.

What was supposed to be a night of cake, dancing and ‘I do’s’ ended in flames for one couple late last month.

Around 200 guests were gathered at the Palace Hotel Kristall in Ariano Irpino, Italy, on the evening of December 27, 2025, when sparklers reportedly started a fire on site amid celebration, according to numerous Italian media outlets, including RaiNews, The Sarda Union And the Republic.

Several large candles resembling luminous fountains were placed inside the establishment and lit during the event, the Republic reported. Images shared by the outlet show the tops of the light nozzles brushing the ceilings as guests watched and recorded the show.

Once the fire caught, it took only a few minutes for the room to be engulfed in flames, and the fire quickly spread to the lobby as well, according to local media.

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Footage of the incident shows the orange fire and black smoke filling the building, visible through entrances. In one clip, smoke rose above a sign for Hotel Kristall. Other clips show fire and smoke visible from another area of ​​the building.

In the images shared by the Republicwe hear people talking frantically and children crying.

The groom was the only individual burned in the fire, although other people suffered minor smoke intoxication, according to Italian media.

While the approximately 200 wedding guests escaped relatively unscathed, the newlywed groom – who, like his wife, resides in the nearby town of Calitri – was hospitalized due to his burns, media reported.

The groom suffered second-degree burns to his hand and head while trying to put out the fire, according to RaiNews. He was treated at hospital and released overnight, according to the media outlet.

Firefighters from Ariano Irpino and Grottaminarda were among the first responders at the scene, alongside the Carabinieri, one of Italy’s national police forces, according to local reports. Several emergency vehicles were on scene, images show.

The Ariano Irpino Carabinieri investigated the fire, according to the Republic. The outlet also reported that the owners of the Palace Hotel Kristall were shocked by the unprecedented incident, which caused extensive damage to the venue.

Google now lists the business as permanently closed.

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