Fate of iconic building unclear

Tommy Laursen of the Copenhagen police said it was too early to say what caused the fire and that police would able to enter the building in “a few days.”

Firefighters who reportedly pumped water from the nearby canal were seen spraying water through the doorway of the Old Stock Exchange's gilded hall that is used for gala dinners, conferences and other events and where many paintings hung.

Huge billows of smoke rose over downtown Copenhagen and could be seen from southern Sweden, which is separated by a narrow waterway.

Up to 90 members of an army unit were deployed from a nearby base to cordon off the area and “secure valuables,” Denmark's armed forces said.

King Frederik wrote on Instagram that “an important part of our architectural heritage” was being destroyed. “This morning we woke up to a sad sight,” he wrote.

The exchange was built in 1615 and considered a leading example of Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark. The Chamber of Commerce moved into the building after Copenhagen's stock exchange left in 1974.

The roof, masonry, sandstone and spire were being renovated, and Mikkelsen said there were plans to have the royal family, government officials and other dignitaries review the work later this year. “That won't happen now,” he said.

It was unclear what will happen to the iconic building.

Engel-schmidt, the culture minister, wrote on X that “I will do everything I can so that the dragon spire will once again tower over Copenhagen,” and said it had been “a symbol of Denmark's strong history as a trading nation.”

The adjacent Christiansborg Palace has burned down on several occasions, and most recently in 1990 a fire broke out in an annex of the Danish parliament, known as Proviantgaarden. However, the Old Stock Exchange was unscathed at the time.

Police said on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that a main road in Copenhagen was closed and people should expect the area to be cordoned off for some time. Several bus lines were rerouted and Danish media reported huge traffic jams.

Queen Margrethe, who turned 84 Tuesday, toned down the celebrations because of the fire, broadcaster TV2 said. A band with the Royal Life Guard was to play for the former monarch outside the Fredensborg Castle, where she is staying for the spring and summer, but that was cancelled.