Tribune News Service
PARIS — A massive fire ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday evening.
More than 400 firefighters strived to save the historic Gothic cathedral. At press time, the worst of it was over. Despite “colossal damages” to the wooden frame (in the words of deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire) and the collapse of its roof and its iconic 295-foot spire, the cathedral still stands.
While the full devastation of the fire is still unclear, officials said the cathedral had been saved from “total destruction.”
Jean-Claude Gallet, commander general of the Paris Fire Brigade, initially said his greatest concern was that the great bells would fall and cause the whole tower to collapse.
“If it collapses, you can imagine how important the damage will be,” he said.
The fire was discovered around 6:50 p.m. Security forces sealed off the area as firefighters used powerful hoses in an effort to bring the blaze under control.
In the U.S., President Donald Trump offered advice to Paris via Twitter: “So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!”
The French Interior Ministry said it used all means to put out the fire with the exception of water-bombing aircraft, because doing so could actually have caused the entire stone structure to collapse.
According to French media, the fire may be linked to a $6.8 million renovation project that was in progress. Police sources said they did not think there was any terrorist involvement.
The statues of the 12 apostles and four evangelists had been removed from the spire just days earlier as part of that restoration project, and they remain safe. Video images Monday night showed the spire consumed by flames, with its upper part swaying and then falling.
First responders were trying to salvage some other treasured artworks inside the cathedral as firefighters did their work. No updates had been received by press time as to their level of success.
Built in the 12th century, the Notre Dame Cathedral is one of Paris’ most popular tourist landmarks, attracting about 13 million visitors every year. It is located in the heart of Paris, on the Isle de la Cité.
It was there that Christian crusaders prayed before going to fight in the Holy Land. Revolutionaries defiled its representations of French kings, and Napoleon crowned himself emperor there in 1804.
“A whole nation is in sorrow,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter. “My thoughts are with all Catholics and all French citizens. Like all our countrymen, I am sad to see this part of us burning this evening.”
