NEED TO KNOW

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

• The blaze at Palace Hotel Kristall in Ariano Irpino, Italy, was allegedly ignited by sparklers

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

What was meant to be a night of cake, dancing and “I do” ended in flames for one couple late last month.

About 200 guests were gathered at the Palace Hotel Kristall in Ariano Irpino, Italy, on the evening of Dec. 27, 2025, when sparklers allegedly ignited a fire at the venue mid-celebration, according to numerous Italian outlets, including RaiNews, L'Unione Sarda and la Repubblica.

Several large sparklers resembling light fountains had been arranged inside the establishment and lit during the event, la Repubblica reported. Footage shared by the outlet shows the top of the light spouts grazing the ceilings as guests looked on and recorded the spectacle.

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

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

In the footage shared by la Repubblica, people can be heard speaking frantically and children can be heard crying.

The groom was the only individual burned in the blaze, though other individuals suffered minor smoke poisoning, according to the Italian outlets.

While the approximately 200 wedding guests escaped relatively unscathed, the newlywed — who, like his wife, is a resident of nearby town Calitri — was hospitalized due to his burn injuries, the outlets reported.

The groom suffered second-degree burns on his hand and head while attempting to put out the blaze, according to RaiNews. He received treatment at the hospital and was released overnight, per the outlet.

Firefighters from both Ariano Irpino and Grottaminarda were among the first responders on the scene, along with the Carabinieri, one of Italy’s national police forces, according to local reports. There were several emergency vehicles on the scene, footage shows.

The Carabinieri of the Ariano Irpino investigated the blaze, per la Repubblica. The outlet also reported that the owners of the Palace Hotel Kristall were shocked by the unprecedented incident, which caused significant damage to the venue.

Google now lists the business as permanently closed.

Read the original article on People