Famous French cathedral catches fire

A 1,100-year-old cathedral in Rouen, Normandy, France, was ablaze on Thursday afternoon, sparking panic and memories of the 2019 fire that engulfed the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral dates back to the 12th century.^th It dates back to the 18th century and is officially named Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen. It is known for its beautiful Gothic architecture and is featured prominently in a number of paintings by the impressionist painter Claude Monet. Rouen’s mayor, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, sent a message to X around noon reporting smoke coming from the cathedral. “A fire has broken out on the tower of Rouen Cathedral. The origin is currently unknown. All public resources are being mobilized,” Mayer-Rossignol wrote. A total of 40 vehicles and 70 people were sent to the scene of the fire.

Firefighters were able to find the source of the fire within 90 minutes and described it as an “accident.” The fire was about 120 meters above the ground. According to workers on site, plastic on a work platform had caught fire. The cathedral has been undergoing renovations since 2017, and the fire is believed to have been caused by welding work. “We have narrowly avoided another disaster. At this point, and I speak on behalf of the prosecutor’s office, this is an accidental fire,” French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said after visiting the cathedral. All the valuable artworks inside were intact, and about 28 pieces were removed to protect them from possible damage. Dati’s statement reflects the fear of the French people after the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. Notre Dame has been engaged in delicate reconstruction work since then and is scheduled to reopen in December.

Three workers at the construction site suffered minor smoke inhalation while attempting to put out the fire with fire extinguishers, but no other injuries were reported. Work on the cathedral also includes building fire barriers within the wooden structures to prevent a disaster similar to that at Notre Dame. The cathedral is expected to reopen in the near future.