A fire broke out on Monday in the late afternoon, around 18: 30, at Notre-Dame de Paris. According to initial reports, the fire started in the attic, at the base of the spire which surmounts the transept of the cathedral.

The fire, which has taken in framing the late afternoon destroyed the whole roof of the cathedral. PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP

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The arrow, that peaks at 93 meters, is made up of 500 tons of wood, 250 tons of lead. Interviewed by Reuters, a spokesman for the fire department of Paris has reported a “fire starting in the attic of Our Lady”, and noted that significant response resources were mobilized.

According to initial reports, the fire started in the attic, at the base of the spire which surmounts the transept of the cathedral. PATRICK ANIDJAR/AFP

Despite the emergency response, the arrow-collapsed shortly before 20 hours so that the whole of the roof of the nave was in flames. At 20h15, according to preliminary findings of rescue, and no victim was to deplore. We learn later that a firefighter has, however, been seriously wounded.

In less than an hour, the fire has won the entire roof. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP

In the early evening, while the works of the cathedral continued to be evacuated, the authorities announced that the treasure had not been reached by the disaster. The crown of thorns and the robe of St. Louis, two of the objects to be extremely important for the catholics, have been “saved”, said Archbishop Patrick Chauvet, the rector of the cathedral.

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On the other hand, the fate of many works of art in large formats was still unknown, even as the future of the grand organ, classified as a historic monument. “We can consider that the structure of Notre-Dame was saved and preserved in its entirety”, has indicated, however, general Jean-Claude Gallet, commander of the Brigade of firemen of Paris, around 23h, so that the fire was not yet extinguished. The public prosecutor of Paris, for its part, announced that an investigation was opened by the head of “involuntary destruction by fire,” and entrusted to the regional Directorate of the judicial police.

The fire has very quickly gained the interior of the arrow consists of a wood frame Nineteenth century covered with lead. BENOIT TESSIER/REUTERS

“During his hours, thanks to the commitment of the entire service of the State, the worst has been avoided, even if the battle is not completely won,” said Emmanuel Macron at 23: 30. “This cathedral, we will rebuild, all together,” he added, explaining that a subscription will be launched, “beyond our borders”.

“We have only our eyes to cry. It is a well-known landmark in the world, ” said Stéphane Bern on BFM. I had the chance for a tv show to walk on this roof, a forest of wood with trees of the Thirteenth century to access the large arrow. See it all in flames, it’s terrible. It is necessary to acknowledge the courage of the firefighters to do the maximum.”

In less than two hours, the whole of the roof of the nave and its timber frame were destroyed. CHARLES PLATIAU/REUTERS

“It is France that is affected in the depths of his being, has added the head of the mission on the Heritage. It is awful. I didn’t think of my life seeing these pictures. We all have a ball in the belly, tears rise to the eyes.”

Started in the late afternoon, the fire had spread to the roof of the nave and the two arms of the transept. FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP

A first arrow had been removed in 1792 as it was in danger of collapsing. A new one had been rebuilt by Viollet-le-Duc in 1860. It was in the course of restoration. Last week, sixteen statues had been dramatically removed to be given to workshops with the help of a huge crane.

While the wood frame has disappeared, only the remaining scaffolding surrounding the base of the arrow. PHILIPPE WOJAZER/REUTERS The heritage Foundation has announced that a national collection would be organized GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP

The roof of Notre-Dame was one of the framers of the oldest of the city, and is nicknamed the “forest” because of its tangle of wooden beams of oak, each carved from a different tree. It had impressive dimensions, even for a contemporary building: over 100 m long, 13 m wide in the nave, 40 m in the transept and 10 m height. According to the site of the cathedral, the framing is original, dating from 1160-1170, has disappeared but some of its elements have been reused when it was replaced by a new structure in 1220, following a fire or expansion work. In the nave, it was erected between 1220 and 1240.

national collection

The first calls for donations were launched on Monday evening. The heritage Foundation has announced that a national collection would be organized. The donations will be paid out on the foundation’s website from midday on Tuesday. The family Pinault, and by the voice of François-Henri Pinault, has already announced that it was releasing 100 million euros for Our Lady. The former minister of Culture Jean-Jacques Aillagon asked on Twitter that “the Parliament voted in an emergency, a special provision opening a tax reduction of 90% on the donations that will be made in favour of the grand restoration project of Our Lady”.

The fire was likely taken in the structure at the base of the spire of 93 metres high where restoration works were underway. FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP

Anne Hidalgo responded on late Monday afternoon, explaining that “the Fire brigade of Paris trying to master the flames” and urging “everyone to adhere to the perimeter of security”. The minister of Culture, Franck Riester, and then the president of the Republic Emmanuel Macron have announced shortly before 20 o’clock that they were also on-site.

Transformed into a gas flare, the arrow which overhung the transept collapsed shortly before 20 hours. LUDOVIC MARINGEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP The arrow, peaking at 93 metres high, was built in wood in the Nineteenth century by Viollet-le-Duc. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP In his fall, the boom of over 700 tonnes has probably deteriorated in the vault of the nave. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP

The fire began while the work of restoring the “historic” statues green-gray came to be launched within the framework of the project renovation of the spire of Notre-Dame. Last week, during ten hours, a crane 100 metres of the top had been removed one by one the sixteen statues of copper – the twelve apostles of Jesus and the four symbols of the evangelists – that surround the spire of the cathedral. Each measuring 3 meters high and weighs no less than 250 kilos. To facilitate their transport, the sculptures have been beheaded and then hung on the crane by the base of the neck.

Asked by Reuters, a spokesman for the fire department of Paris has reported a “fire starting in the attic of Our Lady”. FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP

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last July, undertook massive work at Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the buildings the most visited in the world, with thirteen million admissions per year. A field of twenty years to bring a new youth to the cathedral. The State had disbursed 12 million euros to renovate the arrow.

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Shortly after 19: 30, the fire in the frame, licked the two spires of the cathedral. Up to 23 h, the emergency services had feared that the fire did not ravage the two belfries. LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP The fire was not controlled at night. “It is not sure to be able to stop the spread”, explained the rescue shortly before 22 hours. THOMAS SAMSON/AFP images taken by firefighters to the aid of drone revealed the extent of the damage: at the top of the stone arch, the entire frame was still burning in the night. To the left, an area darker seems to fit a hole in the vault, probably caused by the fall of the arrow. STRINGER/AFP a View of the interior of the nave, the emergency services have been able to see the collapse of a cross-ribbed. Through the gaping hole, we guess the metal scaffolding which has stood the fire. PHILIPPE WOJAZER/AFP The fire brigades discover through the nave gutted in the inferno that consumes the frame. PHILIPPE WOJAZER/REUTERS YVES HERMAN/REUTERS A security perimeter is very wide has been established around the island of the City, whose inhabitants were evacuated in the evening.
BENOIT TESSIER/REUTERS