Breaking: A ‘Terrible Fire’ Rages at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
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One of Paris’ most iconic and beloved landmarks caught fire Monday evening local time.

Around 6:30pm in Paris, the fire alarm went off at the Notre Dame Cathedral. Pictures and videos shared on social media showed the cathedral ablaze.
Horrible #NotreDame pic.twitter.com/BndHQRO1b5
— Solveig Godeluck (@Solwii) April 15, 2019
Firefighters confirmed to Reuters that a “major operation” to battle the flames and columns of smoke was in progress. The total scale of the blaze is still unclear. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo called the situation a “terrible fire” in a tweet.
Un terrible incendie est en cours à la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Les @PompiersParis sont en train de tenter de maîtriser les flammes. Nous sommes mobilisés sur place en lien étroit avec le @dioceseParis. J’invite chacune et chacun à respecter le périmètre de sécurité. pic.twitter.com/9X0tGtlgba
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) April 15, 2019
A spokesperson from Paris City Hall said on Twitter that the area around the fire was being cleared.
#NotreDame on fire ? pic.twitter.com/2o6fdFmLbC
— Liam Taylor (@LiamMTaylor) April 15, 2019
And a spokesperson for the cathedral, André Finot, told The New York Times in a telephone interview that the spire had caught fire, though the cause remains unknown.
Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral was completed in 1345 and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the City of Light. Renovation work has been underway at the church.
UPDATE: The church’s iconic spire has become completely engulfed in flames and has collapsed:
The moment #NotreDame’s spire fell pic.twitter.com/XUcr6Iob0b
— Patrick Galey (@patrickgaley) April 15, 2019
This is a breaking news story. We will update this post as more information becomes available.
Feature photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images.
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