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Notre-Dame fire

Coordinates: 48°51′11″N 2°20′59″E / 48.8530°N 2.3498°E / 48.8530; 2.3498
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Notre-Dame de Paris Fire
The cathedral on fire
Notre-Dame Cathedral is located in Paris
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Notre-Dame Cathedral (Paris)
Date15 April 2019 (2019-04-15)
TimeApprox. 18:50 CEST
DurationOngoing
VenueNotre-Dame de Paris, Île de la Cité, Paris
LocationParis, France
Coordinates48°51′11″N 2°20′59″E / 48.8530°N 2.3498°E / 48.8530; 2.3498
CauseUnknown (Believed to be accidental)[citation needed]
DeathsNone[1]
Non-fatal injuries1 firefighter[2]

On 15 April 2019, shortly before 18:50 CEST, a fire broke out in the roof of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, causing considerable damage to the building. The cathedral's spire and roof collapsed, and significant damage was done to the interior of the church as well as its artefacts.[3][4]

Background

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris dates to the 12th century, and includes a mix of stonework for structural support and wood for the main roofs and its iconic spire. The latter was a nineteenth-century recreation, in oak covered with lead; the original spire was removed in 1786.[5]

In recent years, the cathedral had started to show significant wear, with some of the stonework chipping off. Philippe Villeneuve, architect-in-chief of historic monuments in France, stated in July 2017 that "pollution is the biggest culprit".[6] Cathedral officials estimated that they needed a total of US$185 million in repairs to restore the building. The French government deemed the cathedral in need of maintenance and restoration and passed an emergency appeal in 2018 for US$50 million in repairs.[7] At the time of the fire, it was undergoing renovations on the spire, estimated to cost US$6.8 million.[8] Scaffolding had been erected around the roofs. Stone, copper, and bronze statues, including statues of the twelve Apostles, had been removed from the site days prior to the fire in preparation for the renovations.[9][10]

Incident

The Cathedral was under renovation at the time of the fire, as seen by the scaffolding around the remains of the spire
File:Notre Dame Spire Collapses 15 April 2019.png
The cathedral's spire as it collapsed into the nave

Cause

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but it has been said it could be linked to renovation works and is being treated as an accident by police.[11] The fire was estimated to have started around 18:50 CEST, near the end of the day, when the cathedral was open to tourists. A mass was scheduled near that time, between 18:15 and 19:00.[12]

The white smoke turned to black, indicating a major fire was occurring within the cathedral.[13] Police and other first-responders quickly evacuated the Île de la Cité and the city closed access to the island.[13][11][14] Numerous people gathered on opposite banks of the Seine and at nearby buildings to watch the event.[13]

Firefighting effort

Four hundred firefighters were engaged.[15] Firefighters said that dropping water from an aircraft would not be done as it could compromise the structural integrity of the church.[13] Emergency responders tried to save the art and religious artefacts kept in the Cathedral. According to a spokesperson for the Cathedral, some of the artwork had already been removed prior to the renovations, while most of the sacred relics were held in its sacristy, which was unlikely to be damaged by the fire.[5] As of 22:50, Paris police stated that no deaths had been reported.[16] At least one firefighter was "seriously injured".[17]

Damage

Flames engulfed the upper part of the cathedral, including its two bell towers and the central spire,[18] with the roof collapsing and the spire falling into the nave.[11] Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has described it as a "terrible" fire.[19] A cathedral spokesman said "the [whole structure is] burning ... there will be nothing left. It remains to be seen whether the vault, which protects the cathedral, will be affected or not."[11] A spokesperson stated that the entire wooden frame would likely come down and that the vault of the edifice could be threatened as well.[20]

Reaction

Domestic

French President Emmanuel Macron postponed a major speech on Monday evening after the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral caught fire. He had been due to give a televised address to outline measures he plans to take following nationwide public debates held in response to the yellow vests protest movement.[21]

Mayor Anne Hidalgo asked people to stay away from the area, which had been marked by boundaries set up by fire crews.[11]

International

World leaders and governments, including The Vatican,[22] President of the European Council Donald Tusk,[23] German Chancellor Angela Merkel,[24] Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez,[25] Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May,[26][27] Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg[28], President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro and President of the United States Donald Trump[29] expressed condolences for Paris and France for the damage and potential loss of the long-standing landmark.

See also

References

  1. ^ El-Bawab, Nadine (15 April 2019). "Roof collapses at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral as massive fire rages". CNBC. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  2. ^ "Live: Notre Dame Cathedral engulfed by fire". BBC. Retrieved 15 April 2019. Reported at 22:03
  3. ^ "La cathédrale Notre-Dame ravagée par les flammes". Le Monde (in French). 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  4. ^ El-Bawab, Nadine (15 April 2019). "Roof collapses at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral as massive fire rages". CNBC. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  5. ^ a b McAuley, James; Whitt, Griff (15 April 2019). "Notre Dame Cathedral spire collapses as Paris monument is consumed by fire". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Notre Dame Cathedral Is Crumbling. Who Will Help Save It?". Time. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  7. ^ "Notre-Dame: Cracks in the cathedral". BBC News. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Notre Dame was undergoing $6.8 million renovation when massive fire broke out". CBS News. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  9. ^ "Notre-Dame Cathedral spire in Paris collapses, engulfed in flames". CBC News. Thomson Reuters. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  10. ^ Buncombe, Andrew (15 April 2019). "Notre Dame's historic statues safe after being removed just days before massive fire". The Independent. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Notre-Dame cathedral on fire in Paris". BBC News. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  12. ^ "Événements pour avril 2019". Notre Dame de Paris. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  13. ^ a b c d Nossiter, Adam; Breeden, Aurelien (15 April 2019). "Part of Notre-Dame Cathedral Spire Collapses in Fire". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  14. ^ "La catedral de Notre Dame de París sufre un importante incendio". El País (in Spanish). 15 April 2019. ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  15. ^ "400 firefighters mobilized for Notre Dame blaze". CNN. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  16. ^ El-Bawab, Nadine (15 April 2019). "Roof collapses at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral as massive fire rages". CNBC. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  17. ^ "Live: Notre Dame Cathedral engulfed by fire". BBC. Retrieved 15 April 2019. Reported at 22:03
  18. ^ "'Significant fire' underway at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris". Euronews. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  19. ^ Jarvis, Jacob (15 April 2019). "Notre Dame fire: Huge fire breaks out at world famous cathedral and sends smoke billowing across Paris". Evening Standard. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  20. ^ Hinnant, Lori (15 April 2019). "Catastrophic fire engulfs Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris". AP News. Retrieved 15 April 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  21. ^ Gray, Andrew (15 April 2019). "Macron postpones speech after Notre Dame fire". Politico. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  22. ^ Associated Press. "The Latest: Fire chief unsure Notre Dame fire won't advance". KSL-TV. Retrieved 15 April 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  23. ^ "Notre-Dame de Paris est Notre-Dame de toute l'Europe. We are all with Paris today". @eucopresident (in French). 15 April 2019.
  24. ^ "Notre-Dame cathedral engulfed by fire". BBC News. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  25. ^ "Shock, prayers around the world for Notre Dame Cathedral". Associated Press. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019 – via The Washington Post.
  26. ^ "UK Prime Minister on Twitter". Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  27. ^ "Notre Dame fire: Live updates". CNN. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  28. ^ "Erna Solberg on Twitter". Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  29. ^ "President Trump on the "terrible, terrible fire"". CNN. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
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