Notre-Dame fire
On 15 April 2019, just before 18:20 CEST, a structural fire broke out in the roof space of Notre-Dame de Paris, a medieval Catholic cathedral in Paris, France. By the time the fire was extinguished, the cathedral's spire had collapsed, most of its roof had been destroyed, and its upper walls were severely damaged. Extensive damage to the interior was prevented by its vaulted stone ceiling, which largely contained the burning roof as it collapsed. Many works of art and religious relics were moved to safety early in the emergency, but others suffered smoke damage, and some of the exterior art was damaged or destroyed. The cathedral's altar, two pipe organs, and three 13th-century rose windows suffered little or no damage. Three emergency workers were injured. The fire contaminated the site and nearby areas of the city with toxic dust and lead. The cathedral did not hold a Christmas Mass in 2019 due to the fire, the first time since 1803 that a Mass had not been held.
Notre-Dame de Paris as seen from Quai de Montebello, with the spire aflame | |
Notre-Dame Cathedral Notre-Dame Cathedral (Paris) Notre-Dame Cathedral Notre-Dame Cathedral (France) | |
| Date | 15 April 2019 |
|---|---|
| Time | 18:20 CEST (16:20 UTC) |
| Duration | 15 hours |
| Venue | Notre-Dame Cathedral |
| Location | Paris, France |
| Coordinates | 48.8530°N 2.3500°E |
| Cause | Unknown (Possible from cigarette or accidental) |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 3 |
| Property damage | Roof and spire destroyed; windows and vaulted ceilings damaged |
On 17 April 2019 French president Emmanuel Macron set a five-year deadline to restore the cathedral. By September 2021 donors had contributed over €840 million to the rebuilding effort. The cathedral is expected to reopen in December 2024, although it may take 10 to 40 years to completely restore. As of 2020, investigators believed "the fire to have been started by either a cigarette or a short circuit in the electrical system".