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Fire
breaks out at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris
Notre-Dame
Cathedral has gone up in flames in a blaze that devastated the
Parisian landmark, collapsing the roof and main spire of the
850-year-old building.
Flames and smoke billow from the roof of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Photo: AFP
Flames that began in the early evening burst rapidly through the roof of the centuries-old cathedral and engulfed the spire, which collapsed, quickly followed by the entire roof.
An AFP correspondent posted images of the moment the spire of the ancient cathedral fell.
About three hours after the fire broke out, flames were seen in one of towers at the end of the building. A firefighting official said one fireman was seriously injured in the blaze, Reuters reported.
Four hours after the first flames were seen, a Paris fire official told AFP the main structure was "saved and preserved".
Junior interior minister Laurent Nunez, who earlier said fire services weren't sure they could stop the blaze, later said there was more optimism that Notre-Dame could be saved.
A firefighter at the scene told Reuters efforts were being directed at preventing the collapse of the northern tower and saving the art work at the back of the cathedral.
According to drone footage taken by police, three quarters of the cathedral was still ablaze as darkness fell.
Selon une image de drône de la police, les 3/4 de la #CathedraleNotreDamedeParis est encore en feu. Seules les deux tours sont pour le moment épargnées. 400 pompiers mobilisés. #Paris #incendie
Flames engulf a spire and scaffolding on the church which was undergoing renovations. Photo: AP
"Basically the whole rooftop is gone. I see no hope for the building," said witness Jacek Poltorak, watching the fire from a fifth-floor balcony two blocks from the southern facade of the cathedral, one of France's most visited places.
But standing in front of the burning landmark, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to rebuild the cathedral.
"Notre-Dame is our history, our literature, part of our psyche, the place of all our great events, our epidemics, our wars, our liberations, the epicentre of our lives," he said.
"Let's be proud, because we built this cathedral more than 800 years ago, we've built it and, throughout the centuries, let it grow and improved it. So I solemnly say tonight: we will rebuild it together."
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, left, President Emmanuel Macron, centre, near the entrance of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Photo: AFP
Firefighters evacuated buildings on Ile de la Cite, the island in the River Seine where the cathedral sits and which marks the centre of Paris.
"Everything is collapsing," a police officer near the scene said as the entire roof of the cathedral continued to burn.
Photo: AP
It was not immediately clear what had caused the fire. France 2 television reported that police were treating the incident as an accident.
Notre-Dame Cathedral before the fire. The first stone of the Notre-Dame de Paris ("Our Lady of Paris") cathedral was laid in 1163 in the reign of Louis VII. Construction would continue for much of the next century, with major restoration and additions made in the 17th and 18th century. Photo: RNZ / Russell Palmer
The cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century and is famous for featuring in Victor Hugo's classic novel the Hunchback of Notre-Dame, attracts millions of tourists every year.
Catholic churches responded to a plea form Archbishop of Paris called to all priests in Paris to ring bells as a gesture for the Cathedral.
'Invaluable heritage' destroyed
A spokesperson for the cathedral said the entire wooden frame of the building would probably come down, and that the vault of the edifice could be threatened too.
"Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame," Notre-Dame spokesperson Andre Finot told French media. The 12th-century cathedral is home to incalculable works of art and is one of the world's most famous tourist attractions.
The cause of the catastrophic blaze was not known, but French media quoted the Paris fire brigade as saying the fire is "potentially linked" to a 6 million-euro renovation project on the church's spire and its 250 tons of lead.
The wood and lead spire was built during a restoration in the mid-19th century, according to the cathedral's website. Some sections of the cathedral are under scaffolding, while bronze statues were removed last week for works.
French historian Camille Pascal told BFM broadcast channel the fire was destroying "invaluable heritage."
"It's been 800 years that the Cathedral watches over Paris", Mr Pascal said. "Happy and unfortunate events for centuries have been marked by the bells of Notre-Dame."
He recalled that Notre-Dame bells sounded the death knell following the 2015 Paris attacks.
"We can be only horrified by what we see", Mr Pascal said.
Photo: AP
A centre of Roman Catholic faith, over the centuries Notre-Dame has also been a target of political upheaval.
It was ransacked by rioting Protestant Huguenots in the 16th century, pillaged again during the French Revolution of the 1790s and left in a state of semi-neglect. Hugo's 1831 work led to revived interest in the cathedral and a major - partly botched - restoration that began in 1844. The wood-and-lead spire was built during that restoration, according to the cathedral's website.
UNESCO said in a tweet it was "closely monitoring the situation and is standing by France's side to safeguard and restore this invaluable heritage".
Paris correspondent Peter Allen told Morning Report firefighters were not using helicopter drops because the weight of the water would cause even more damage.
He said the fire was a small one to begin with, in a roof space, and the fact that it grew so rapidly suggested there were few precautions in the cathedral to stop fire spreading.
"An absolute tragedy for Paris," he said.
How the fire unfolded:
Around 6.50pm local time (4.50am NZT) : Fire starts in roof of Notre-Dame cathedral, according to firefighters. About 20 minutes later smoke could be seen from the roof.
7.40 pm: Fire spreads to the giant spire of Notre-Dame cathedral.
7.53 pm: Cathedral's spire collapses.
7.59 pm: French president's office says Macron is rushing to the scene.
8.07 pm: Entire roof of Notre-Dame collapses, according to a Reuters correspondent at the scene.
8.25 pm: Ile de la Cite, the island on which Notre-Dame sits, is evacuated by police.
- Reuters / BBC / AP
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