World #1 – FRANCE: Developing Story – Fire guts Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral
Daily News Article — Posted on April 16, 2019
(by Sybille de La Hamaide, Julie Carriat, Reuters) PARIS — A massive fire consumed Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday, gutting and destroying the roof of the Paris landmark and stunning France and the world, but firefighters said they had saved the shell of the stone structure from collapse.
Flames that began in the early evening burst rapidly through the roof of the centuries-old cathedral and engulfed the spire, which toppled, quickly followed by the entire roof.
Pictured before the fire, Notre-Dame’s first stone was laid in 1163
As it burned into the evening, firefighters battled to prevent one of the main bell towers from collapsing. One firefighter was seriously injured – the only reported casualty.
“We now believe that the two towers of Notre Dame have been saved,” Paris fire chief Jean-Claude Gallet told reporters at the scene. “We now consider that the main structure of Notre Dame has been saved and preserved.”
There was still a risk that some of the interior structures could collapse, and firefighters would work overnight to cool them down, he said.
(Click here for a 3D diagram of Notre Dame from Reuters)
Distraught Parisians and stunned tourists gazed in disbelief as the inferno raged at the cathedral, which sits on the Ile de la Cite, an island in the River Seine and marks the very center of Paris.
Thousands of onlookers lined bridges over the Seine and along its embankments, held at a distance by a police cordon.
People pray as Notre Dame Cathedral burns in Paris on April 15, 2019. Notre Dame is a focal point for French Roman Catholics who like Christians around the world are celebrating Holy Week, marking the death and resurrection of Jesus.
World leaders expressed shock and sent condolences to the French people. President Emmanuel Macron said the whole nation was distressed. “Like all our compatriots, I am sad this evening to see this part of all of us burn,” he tweeted.
A huge plume of smoke wafted across the city and ash fell over a large area. People watching gasped as the spire folded over onto itself and fell into the inferno.
Firefighters battled smoke and falling drops of molten lead to salvage priceless artworks and relics.
A centuries-old crown of thorns made from reeds and gold and the tunic worn by Saint Louis, a 13th century king of France, were saved, Notre Dame’s top administrative cleric, Monsignor Patrick Chauvet said. But firefighters had struggled to take down some of the large paintings in time, he said.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said it had launched an inquiry into the fire. Several police sources said that they were working on the assumption for now that it was accidental.
“Everything is collapsing,” a police officer near the scene said as the cathedral continued to burn.
…The Vatican said the fire at the “symbol of Christianity in France and in the world” had caused shock and sadness and said it was praying for the firefighters.
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said at the scene that some of many artworks that were in the cathedral had been taken out and were being put in safe storage.
The cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century, features in Victor Hugo’s classic novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” It is a UNESCO World Heritage site that attracts millions of tourists every year.
It is a focal point for French Roman Catholics who like Christians around the world are celebrating Holy Week, marking the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The archbishop of Paris called on all priests in Paris to ring church bells as a gesture of solidarity for Notre Dame.
Reporting by Sybille de la Hamaide and Julie Carriat; Additional reporting by Leigh Thomas, Simon Carraud, Sudip Kar-Gupta, Michel Rose, Emmanuel Jarry, Jean-Baptiste Vey, Marine Pennetier, Sarah White, Tim Hepher, Laurence Frost in Paris, Kylie MacLellan in London, Paul Carrel in Berlin, Philip Pullella in Rome; Writing by Robin Pomeroy; Editing by Frances Kerry
Published at Reuters .com on April 15. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission from Thomson Reuters.
Background
The cathedral was in the midst of renovations, with some sections under scaffolding, and 16 copper statues were removed last week for restoration.
16 copper statues were lifted off the Notre-Dame-de-Paris Cathedral to be taken for restoration on April 11, 2019 in the French capital Paris. (Bertrand Guay / AFP/Getty Images)
Built over a century starting in 1163, Notre Dame is considered to be among the finest examples of French Gothic cathedral architecture.
It is renowned for its rib vaulting, flying buttresses and stunning stained glass windows, as well as its many carved stone gargoyles.
Its 100-metre-long (330-foot) roof, of which a large section was consumed in the first hour of the blaze, was one of the oldest such structures in Paris, according to the cathedral’s website.
Pictured before the fire, Notre-Dame's first stone was laid in 1163 (Sky News)
A center 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.
“I have a lot of friends who live abroad and every time they come I tell them to go to Notre Dame,” said witness Samantha Silva, with tears in her eyes.
“I’ve visited it so many times, but it will never be the same. It’s a real symbol of Paris.” (from the Reuters article above)
The cathedral's towers are more than 220 feet tall and the building is more than 400 feet long, according to Notre Dame's website. It's almost 52,000 square feet.