Thursday 01/January/2026 – 10:39 AM
A massive fire broke out in the tower of the historic Vondel Kirk Church in The Dutch capital, Amsterdamshortly after New Year’s celebrations, leading to evacuations, emergency alerts and the collapse of large parts of it.
Massive fire in the Dutch Vondelkerke Church
New Year’s celebrations in Amsterdam turned into complete chaos after a massive fire broke out in the historic Vondel Church at dawn on Thursday, which required massive evacuations, according to local newspapers.
Dutch emergency services received the first calls for help at around 12:45 a.m., less than an hour after citizens celebrated the arrival of the year 2026. By the time firefighters and police arrived, the fire had spread quickly through the church tower, sending up thick columns of smoke.
Authorities warned that the entire building was at risk of collapse, and the fire was quickly declared a conflagration, and within hours the church tower – part of its historic landmark – collapsed.
According to the Amsterdam-Amstland Emergency Services District, the fire caused a massive shower of sparks, as burning embers of old wood scattered east towards the city centre. Neighboring homes were evacuated as a precaution, and firefighters were seen ringing doorbells and guiding residents to safe places, and the streets surrounding the church were closed.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said: This is a huge and horrific fire in this huge church, adding that the safety of nearby residents remains a top priority.
As the situation escalated, the authorities sounded the alarm about a regional disaster of the second degree, summoned emergency teams from outside Amsterdam and activated a regional operations team of the second degree, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
It is noteworthy that the Vondelkerk Church, which was built in 1872, was used as a Roman Catholic church until 1977, and since then it has hosted many events.
