Tall & Urban News

Cathedral Structure Remains Intact After Devastating Fire in Paris

ND
ND
16 April 2019 | Paris, France

The massive fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was extinguished early Tuesday, April 16, after a nine-hour battle, authorities said. “The cathedral’s structure has been saved and the main works of art are safe,” the French city’s fire service said in a tweet.

The blaze caused the historic cathedral’s roof to collapse, destroyed a spire and spread to one of the building’s two rectangular towers. The sight brought many onlookers to tears.

No one was killed, but two police officers and a firefighter were injured.

The fire started at 6:50 p.m. after the site had closed to the public. Around 400 firefighters worked through the night to cool the building and secure the monument, as residual sparks sprinkled down from the gaping hole where the spire used to be.

The Paris prosecutors’ office ruled out arson and possible terrorism-related motives, and said it was treating the fire as an accident.

Flames could be seen near scaffolding — high at the top of the famous church where $6.8 million in renovations were being completed — and billowing smoke was visible from miles away in the French capital. The massive blaze also spread to one of the church’s landmark rectangular towers. Flames could be seen blazing behind an oblong stained-glass window in one of the towers.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said that many of the precious artifacts inside the cathedral, including a relic believed to be worn by Jesus Christ which was stored in the collapsed spire, had been saved. Culture Minister Franck Riester posted photos of French authorities loading art and other historic pieces into a truck on social media. “They are gradually being put into safety,” Riester said.

Michel Picaud, from the Friends of Notre-Dame organization responsible for the renovation efforts, told NBC News that, to his knowledge, the church’s organ and some of its stained glass windows were not damaged.  “The entire roof is fully destroyed,” Picaud said. “The fire started up near the roof top while another fire started in the north bell tower.”

There is a history of churches, synagogues and temples going up in flames during renovations, according to Glenn Corbett, an associate professor of fire science at John Jay College in New York. “If there is a most vulnerable time for a church, it is when it is under construction, because we get people who are using torches or welding or cutting that are of course emitting forces.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said the country’s citizens must push through their sadness. “So with pride I tell you tonight that we will rebuild this cathedral, all together,” Macron added. “It’s part of the fate, the destiny of France, and our common project over the coming years. And I am committed to it.”

Macron said a national fundraising campaign to restore Notre Dame would be launched April 16, and he called on the world’s “greatest talents” to help. Pledges from French businessmen have already started rolling in. Billionaire Bernard Arnault’s family and his LVMH luxury goods group — which is behind Louis Vuitton — said that they would donate €200 million ($226 million). And Francois Henri Pinault, the head of Kering — which owns brands including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent — vowed to donate €100 million ($113 million).

According to French historian Camille Pascal, the fire marked “the destruction of invaluable heritage. It’s been 800 years that the cathedral watches over Paris … Happy and unfortunate events for centuries have been marked by the bells of Notre-Dame.” Onlookers were in tears as they witnessed the flames destroying one of Paris’ most famed and popular landmarks.

In 1991, $19 million was set aside for a restoration project to replace loose stones on the cathedral. Nine bronze bells were made in 2013, the church’s 850th anniversary, in order to replace deteriorating artifacts. Sixteen copper statues were removed from the spire on Friday, April 11, as part of a restoration effort that was estimated to cost more than $900,000.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said he was praying that “God preserve this splendid house of prayer, and protect those battling the blaze.”

For more on this story go to MSN.com