Amsterdam fire causes Madame Tussauds evacuation

A fire that started in the third floor of a home in Amsterdam Centrum led to the evacuation of several neighboring buildings, including the Madame Tussauds wax museum on Dam Square. The fire was reported just before 2 p.m. on Thursday, and was not extinguished for nearly an hour. There were no injuries reported in the incident. First responders at the scene said that the fire was ultimately contained to just the one residential building, located at the corner of Rokin and Kromelleboogsteeg. A damage estimate has not been released. Though Madame Tussauds was the highest-profile building evacuated, businesses and other shops on Rokin, Kalverstraat and Kromelleboogsteeg were cleared out as a precaution. Public transportation in the area was diverted away from the Rokin, affecting trams 4, 9, 14, 16 and 24 in each direction. Amsterdam's public transit authority, GVB, said they expect service to return to normal at about 6 p.m.