A large fire broke out at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris on Monday evening, causing part of the historic church’s spire to collapse as the blaze spread along its roof. It is not clear what had caused the fire, while local media reported that police in the city were treating it as an accident.
The city’s mayor and firefighters warned people to stay away from the area. There have been no confirmed deaths, according to Paris police, while an official said no injuries had yet been reported. Firefighters have extinguished the fire, after battling the blaze for nine hours, the city’s fire brigade said earlier.
Photo credit should read FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images
The fire broke out Monday evening and raged for several hours before 400 firefighters, working with skill and precision to avoid further damage to the medieval landmark, managed to bring it under control.
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The cathedral has been a symbol of Catholicism and French identity for over 850 years. Its foundation stone was laid in 1163 by Pope Alexander III, and the cathedral was completed in the 13th century. Today, with its towers, spire, flying buttresses, and stained glass, Notre Dame is considered a feat of architecture, as well as a major religious and cultural symbol of France.
Courtesy of BBC
Its central spire, which tragically collapsed Monday in the blaze, was built in the 19th century amid a broad restoration effort, partly buoyed by the success of Victor Hugo’s novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” in 1831. The cathedral draws millions of visitors. Located in Île de la Cité, a small island in the middle of the city, the cathedral is one of Paris’ most popular attractions, drawing an estimated 13 million visitors a year.
After part of the spire collapsed, the fire appeared to spread across the rooftop, where the growing flames licked the sky and projected a yellow smoke over the horizon. Many of the most valuable works of art inside Notre Dame Cathedral were saved by firefighters and have been relocated to safety, French Culture Minister Franck Riester told reporters on Tuesday.
Both towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral “are safe,” said Laurent Nunez, secretary to the interior minister, hours after a massive fire toppled its spire, burned most of its roof, and threatened the centuries-old art and architecture inside. Other works are being taken to Paris’ renowned art museum, the Louvre, and relocation will continue throughout Tuesday and Wednesday.
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#NotreDame: ‘The roof has entirely collapsed, there are flames coming out the back of the cathedral as if it was a torch’@charli, Journalist at France 24, at the scene of the fire. pic.twitter.com/2B0IrMiDcL
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) April 15, 2019
«Incendie majeur» à #NotreDame.
(vidéo by @ecoursin) pic.twitter.com/nKI0JoyzGJ— Bob le Centriste (@BobLeCentriste) April 15, 2019
#NOTRE_DAME Black smoke now pic.twitter.com/hCun8eZUeU https://t.co/aF1sdecqM6
— Daniel Brobecker (@DanielBrobecker) April 15, 2019
The central Paris cathedral, which celebrated its 850th anniversary in 2013, took 182 years to build — construction began in the 12th century and was completed in the 13th century — and can hold more than 6,000 worshipers.
Notre Dame was badly damaged during the French Revolution and was restored by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century. It is known for its enormous stained glass windows, among other remarkable architectural details.
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who is already at the scene described it as a “terrible fire” and urged people to respect the boundaries set up by fire crews in order to ensure that they remain safe.