On the morning of 2 January 2026, a fire broke out at the Protestant Christuskirche in the centre of Neunkirchen, Saarland. Due to the significant amount of smoke caused by the fire, it took the fire brigade several hours to ventilate the building.
An initial ignition affected part of the church’s main wooden portal and a secondary burnt area at the side of the building, which had already gone out by the time emergency services arrived.
Although the fire itself was described as comparatively small and extinguished in its early stage, it generated substantial smoke that entered the interior, affecting multiple rooms on the ground and intermediate floors and penetrating up to the high nave. Fire crews deployed specialised ventilation equipment to clear the building of smoke.
The police suspects a criminal arson attack and commenced enquiries.
Since the incident, police have arrested a suspect in connection with the attack. Investigators also confirmed that there had been two other attempted arson attacks targeting the Christuskirche.