Massive fire engulfs Amsterdam's 150-year-old Vondelkerk Church on New Year

A massive fire broke out in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, on Thursday night (January 1, 2026). Amid the fire, the 150-year-old Vondelkerk Church was engulfed in flames, as per the report by the Lokmak Times & Travel and Tour World. The blaze came to light around 2:30 a.m. local time at the century-old church located on Vondelstraat in the city.

In response to the flame, emergency services reached the spot immediately. Initially, the fire began on the church roof and quickly spread throughout the entire building. Several videos surfaced on social media showing the scale of the blaze covering the church.

A fire department spokesperson said that all efforts were being made to save what is still left. “But yes, you can still see the wind, the flames, the sparks coming off. Right now, we're really focusing on saving what's still standing. But it’s happening very quickly,” the spokesperson added.

Emergency evacuations were carried out

He further said the tower gave way and crashed into the centre of the church, triggering fires in other sections of the structure. Authorities immediately focused on safeguarding the public. Amsterdam’s emergency management agency, which oversees the coordination of first responders, issued alerts to people living near the blaze.

Residents were urged to shut doors and windows and steer clear of areas strewn with debris, as sparks from the ageing wooden building threatened nearby properties and passersby. Given the volatile nature of the fire, emergency evacuations were carried out. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said several homes around Vondelstraat were cleared as the damaged church structure posed a serious safety hazard.

Several media reports confirmed that firefighters and emergency personnel put their efforts through the night to bring the situation under control and prevent the flames from spreading to residential areas.