American Burn Association Issues Statement on Crans-Montana Fire

The American Burn Association (ABA) extends its deepest concern for those affected by the recent fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, including individuals who sustained burn injuries and the families awaiting updates during the ongoing response.

Large-scale burn incidents present significant clinical, coordination, and resource-management challenges. Even within well-developed healthcare systems, a sudden influx of critically injured patients can exceed regional capacity, requiring rapid collaboration among burn centers, emergency response teams, transport networks, and governmental authorities across regions and national borders. The coordinated actions underway in Switzerland and neighboring countries highlight the complexity of managing burn surge events and the importance of structured international response systems.

“We recognize how overwhelming these events are, not only for patients, but for families and the healthcare teams working under intense pressure to provide lifesaving care,” said ABA President, Jeff Carter, MD, FABA, “Burn centers and emergency responders are navigating extraordinary clinical, logistical, and communication demands simultaneously, and their dedication in these moments is remarkable.”

 “Maintaining timely and accurate communication with families during incidents of this scale is also a core operational component of disaster response,” said ABA CEO, Ed Dellert, RN, MBA, CAE, FACEHP. “Providing timely information, compassion, and reassurance while coordinating transfers and critical care is an essential and often under-recognized part of disaster response.”

The ABA stands in solidarity with burn centers, emergency responders, transport teams, and healthcare systems across Europe, including the European Burns Association and others worldwide, as they confront the realities of burn surge, patient transfers, and family support under the most demanding circumstances. Incidents of this magnitude reinforce the continued need for global readiness, data-informed planning, and collaborative frameworks to support patients, clinical teams, and health systems during complex burn emergencies.

About the American Burn Association
The American Burn Association is dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by burn injury through education, research, prevention, advocacy, and the promotion of high-quality burn care worldwide. For more information, visit ameriburn.org.