Epe church goes up in flames; Locals urged to avoid the area

The Regenboogkerk in Epe is on fire. Firefighters from far and wide responded to the Gelderland town to fight the blaze. The local security office urged locals to stay out of the smoke and give emergency services space to work.

The fire in the church on Beekstraat was first reported at 11:36 a.m. At 11:58 a.m., the fire department classified it as a “very large fire” and escalated the situation to Grip 1. That means that all the emergency services at the scene work under a single commanding officer.

Firefighters are focused on preventing the fire from spreading to other nearby buildings. “The church is located in the built-up area of Epe. Keep the main roads clear for emergency services and do not come to the location,” the local security office Veiligheidsregio Noord- en Oost-Gelderland said on X.

It is not yet clear how the fire started or whether anyone got hurt. Photos from the scene show that the church’s A-frame roof is pretty much gone.