Amsterdam’s historic Vondelkerk church goes up in flames on New Year
Vondelkerk Church in Amsterdam before the fire (Photo: wikipedia.org)
On the night of January 1, 2026, a major fire broke out in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The 150-year-old Vondelkerk Church was engulfed in flames, according to Lokmak Times and Travel and Tour World.
Reports of the fire came in around 2:30 a.m. local time. The blaze was reported at the century-old church located on Vondelstraat in the city. Emergency services were dispatched immediately.
The fire initially started on the church roof and quickly spread throughout the entire building. Videos shared on social media show the scale of the blaze.
BREAKING: Fire engulfs the top of Vondel Church in Central Amsterdam, The Netherlands. pic.twitter.com/1Fuxx1QcAX
— World Source News (@Worldsource24) January 1, 2026
A fire department spokesperson said around 2:45 a.m. that all efforts were being made to save what is still standing.
“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.
He also noted that the tower collapsed and fell into the middle of the church, causing several other parts of the building to catch fire.
Warnings issued to residents
In response to the fire, local authorities prioritized public safety. Amsterdam’s emergency management agency, responsible for coordinating first responders, issued warnings to residents in the immediate fire zone.
People were advised to keep windows and doors closed and to avoid areas with heavy debris, as sparks from the old wooden structure posed a threat to nearby buildings and pedestrians.
The unpredictability of the fire led to urgent evacuations. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema confirmed that several homes near Vondelstraat were evacuated because the collapsed church structure posed a serious risk to public safety.
According to media reports, firefighters and emergency personnel worked through the night to bring the situation under control and prevent the fire from spreading to residential areas.
What is known about Vondelkerk Church
Vondelkerk is a historic building that was formerly a Christian church, located on Vondelstraat near Vondelpark in Amsterdam.
Originally, it served as a Catholic parish church. Today, the building functions as a cultural and community space, having been converted into a multifunctional venue for offices, events, and gatherings.
Counting from the laying of its first stone in 1872, the building was 154 years old in 2026. The church was constructed in the Neo-Gothic style - a popular architectural trend of the 19th century, common among European religious buildings of the era. By 1880, the building was fully operational as a Catholic church.
Media reports also note that this is not the first time the church has lost its spire. Over a century ago, in 1904, a lightning strike caused a fire that destroyed the spire, which was later restored.
