The cause is not yet clear, but officials say it could be linked to renovation work. [...] Last year, the Catholic Church in France launched an urgent appeal for funds to save the cathedral, which was starting to crumble. A major operation is under way to tackle the blaze, which broke out on Monday afternoon, and an area surrounding the building in central Paris has been cleared, officials said. — BBC
8:18 PM EST:
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to have the beloved landmark rebuilt, and announced that a fundraiser will be launched tomorrow.
The Paris prosecutors' office says investigators are treating the fire as an accident and have ruled out arson, “including possible terror-related motives for starting the blaze”, the Associated Press reports.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted that major art pieces and relics were saved from the fire, including the Crown of Thorns, the Tunic of Saint Louis, and several other major works that are now in a safe place.
A spokesman for Paris police has said that the fire is now under control, CNN reports.
6:07 PM EST: Cathedral saved from “total destruction”
Multiple reports state that the cathedral has been saved from “total destruction”, but it will take a minimum of three or four hours to contain the fire.
Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot told French media that the cathedral sustained “colossal damage”, and that its marveled Medieval wooden interior had been gutted. On the other hand, its iconic North and South Towers at the main entrance were saved, and its main exterior structure was also preserved, Commander General Jean-Claude Gallet told reporters on the scene. One firefighter was seriously injured, but no casualties have been reported, according to Reuters. Some interior structures are still at risk of collapsing, and firefighters will be working overnight to cool them down, Gallet said.
4:24 PM EST: “The next hour and a half will be crucial’
New reports state that the next hour and a half will be crucial to save what remains of the cathedral, says Jean-Claude Gallet, commander general of the Paris Fire Brigade.
“Currently, the maneuver is aimed at preserving the rear of the Cathedral where the most precious works are located, which we are evacuating. The most valuable works have been sheltered,” Gallet said to Agence France-Presse.
"Actuellement la manœuvre vise à préserver l'arrière de la cathédrale, où sont situées les œuvres les + précieuses, que nous sommes en train d'évacuer. Les œuvres les plus précieuses ont été mises à l'abri", déclare le général Gallet, commandant des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris #AFP pic.twitter.com/qlQtT097DK
— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) April 15, 2019
“There’s a risk that the great bell falls. If the bell falls, it’s the tower that collapses. There are firefighters inside and outside. The next hour and a half will be crucial. We need to win this battle and block the spreading of the flames,” Gallet told reporters on the scene. However, they aren't sure if they can stop the flames from spreading to the North Tower, he added.
3:42 PM EST:
The Paris public prosecutor's office has opened a preliminary investigation into the incident, Le Monde tweeted. The fire is still underway, according to Le Monde reporter JB Chastand.
En direct de rive gauche, plus de batterie mais l’incendie continue... pic.twitter.com/G0af5KooyO
— JB Chastand (@jbchastand) April 15, 2019
3:18 PM EST:
The 850-year-old French Gothic cathedral has been undergoing a $6.8 million renovation, which began after cracks in the stone sparked fears that the structure would become unstable.
The 96-meter-tall spire that collapsed contained historic relics considered sacred to Catholics, including what was believed to be Jesus Christ's crown of thorns.
2:45 PM EST:
Local news channel FRANCE 24 reports that the “flames appear to be more contained towards the center [...]”. Hundreds of people have already gathered around to watch the fire, which is “still a terrible scene” and “very emotional”. The cathedral's roof, including its main spire, has collapsed.
#NotreDameFire: 'The flames appear to be more contained towards the center... however I can still see some parts on the side with small amounts of burning'@charli, journalist for @France24, at the scene. pic.twitter.com/nFHgqcJDeY
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) April 15, 2019
According to the Paris police department, no injuries or casualties have been reported so far. Andre Finot, a spokesman for the cathedral, told French media: “Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame.”
1:57 PM EST: Spire collapses
#notredame #paris #incendie #désastre pic.twitter.com/jpNosqFGGp
— Kinsley Laurence (@KinsleyLaurence) April 15, 2019
15 Comments
Devastating.
Horrible. I hope nobody has been or will be injured.
Damn. What a loss. Hope they can save as much as possible.
:(
Architecture matters. One can only wonder how many millions of people have been affected by the fire, in ways slight to profound, and not just in the western world.
Al Aqsa Mosque
https://twitter.com/qudsn/stat...
It's possible that it could be dare I say?
"Settlers"?
doG must be pissed.
sort of feel the sellers did not set Solomon's stables on fire as it would be symbolically important to all the sky dragon folks.
This is at the same time very sad and frustrating, how is it that we end up losing major landmarks during renovations, first the two fires at the Glasgow school and now this? We need to develop a better means of providing adequate fire protection while buildings are undergoing renovation.
so very sad.
Peter N
installing sprinklers before scaffolding would suck.
I agree but if they had temporary standpipes up to the roof level that would have helped. There are other measures that can be developed.
they need to have night watchmen at all times in multiple points in the building + cameras with heat sensors/alarms to catch fires early - esp by historically significant structures
It is really is impressive how the world has reacted, and what historic buildings mean to society at large. Hopefully they’ll restore it as it was but without hidden wood beams.
Very sad!
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