Major fire breaks out in attic of home on Columbusstraat, multiple houses evacuated

A major fire broke out in the attic of a residential building on Columbusstraat in Amsterdam early this morning. The emergency services were alerted to the incident around 5:30 a.m. and quickly escalated the response to a major fire due to the significant amount of smoke being produced. Authorities advised nearby residents to keep their windows closed and avoid the area affected by the smoke.

To combat the blaze, firefighters utilized a specialized cobra cutter system, which allows crews to penetrate building materials such as wood or steel to extinguish flames under high pressure. Several neighboring houses were evacuated as a precautionary measure to ensure safety. Images from the scene showed residents waiting outside while crews continued their suppression efforts for over an hour and a half. Two young children were provided with jackets by police officers to protect them from the cold while they waited to return home.