A fire at the five-star hotel Les Grandes Alpes in the French ski resort town forced the evacuation of 270 people. Four firefighters sustained minor injuries.
A fire broke out Tuesday at the "Les Grandes Alpes" five-star hotel in the exclusive French town of Courchevel 1850, part of the eponymous high-end ski resort.
The blaze started in the establishment's attic, located at the foot of the ski slopes.
Overnight on Wednesday the fire spread to a nearby residence, and has since threatened to spread to the neighbouring hotel, Le Lana.
According to French media outlets, some 270 people have been evacuated, including visitors and staff.
No casualties have been reported, according to the authorities. However, four firefighters have been slightly injured due to the thick smoke, officials said.
The 90 or so residents of the "Grandes Alpes" were quickly rehoused in other buildings in Courchevel, according to the Prefect of Savoie, Vanina Nicoli.
Accommodation was made available by the Courchevel town hall for the other evacuees.
Dozens of firefighters mobilised
A total of 110 firefighters have been deployed, with reinforcements from the neighbouring departments of Haute-Savoie and Isère, according to the Savoie prefecture.
Firefighters worked throughout the night to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other buildings in the resort. Fire-fighting operations continued on Wednesday.
The stone-tile roof structure and the thick layer of snow covering it have complicated the intervention, according to authorities.
Colonel Fabrice Terrien, working at the scene, told local media that the roof had to be dismantled to access parts of the fire.
The work of the emergency services was also made more difficult by the site's layout, where luxury hotels and vast wooden chalets stand side by side, with overlapping roofs.
A night at the "Les Grandes Alpes" can cost around 12,000.
With one of the highest concentrations of five-star hotels in the world, Courchevel is among Europe's most expensive resorts, known for celebrity visitors such as David and Victoria Beckham, Robbie Williams and the British royal family. It is also home to seven Michelin-star restaurants.
It also hosted some of the 1992 Winter Olympics competitions and the 2023 World Ski Championships.
Courchevel 1850, rebranded in 2011 as simply Courchevel, is the most elite and exclusive of the four towns that make up the resort.