Overview
- Fire crews battled the blaze into the morning, leaving the 19th‑century church largely destroyed with the tower down, the roof ruined and primarily the exterior walls still standing.
- Emergency managers ordered evacuations, issued mobile alerts and cut power in the area to protect nearby homes, with no injuries reported in connection with the church fire.
- First calls came in around 12:45 a.m. local time and the fire was brought under control by late morning, as investigators reported no indications anyone was inside when it started.
- Across the Netherlands, a 17‑year‑old boy and a 38‑year‑old man died in fireworks incidents, roughly 250 arrests were made and police reported assaults on responders, including petrol bombs in Breda.
- Authorities say the church fire’s cause remains unconfirmed, though local reports point to fireworks as a potential factor during a year that saw record consumer purchases ahead of a planned ban.