Fire rages in Haarlem center

A fire in the center of Haarlem has broken out in a building in the shopping area on De Grote Houtstraat. It is unclear what caused the fire, but the area has been closed off, and neighboring buildings are being partly evacuated. The fire has been scaled up to GRIP 1, a massive emergency services action has been recruited to stem the blaze, and save the neighboring buildings. RTV Noord Holland reports that the fire department is not keeping neighboring buildings wet, however, meaning that the threat of the fire spreading is not a concern. A co-worker from the neighboring shop tells RTV Noord Holland that the roof was ablaze. According to RTV, there were some works happening in that building on Monday. The building is listed, and the facade has to be removed to prevent damage, according to a shop owner in the area. According to Jouw FM, the building is owned by the Trou moet Blycken society, which is a gentlemen's club over 500 years old. The owner of the society confirms that there was some work being done on the building, including painting, which is also a reason why the area has been blocked off, in case the ash from the fire contains harmful particles. It is unclear if there have been any injuries as of yet.

Devastating : historical rederijkerskamer Trou moet blijcken in Haarlem is ablaze pic.twitter.com/CCwwAQ4mXv

— Ann Demeester (@AnnDemeester) June 30, 2014

#Haarlem brand grote hout pic.twitter.com/4QvjRcEyyI

— 🐝HOMMEL🐝 (@Japio3008) June 30, 2014