Paris - Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, Apr 2019

[PommyMommy]

10:14 PM, France Televisions, translated by Google
DIRECT. Incendie de Notre-Dame de Paris : les pompiers ne sont pas sûrs de pouvoir "enrayer la propagation" du feu
"We are not sure we can stop the spread of fire," warned the relief Monday, April 15 about the fire of Notre-Dame de Paris. To pour water on Notre-Dame de Paris to extinguish the flames is not an option, civil security said, because it could destroy the building in the grip of a violent fire. It's a "difficult fire," the firefighters said. About 400 of them are mobilized around the building, according to the Interior Ministry on Twitter.

Address postponed. The intervention of Emmanuel Macron is postponed because of the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris. The Elysée did not specify when it would take place. The president went in the evening on site.

A departure in the attic. The fire, which spreads extremely fast, took in the attic of the cathedral, said firefighters. It seems to be part of scaffolding installed on the roof of the building, built between the twelfth and fourteenth century, according to firefighters.

[...]

 

[Cappuccino]

Is anyone surprised by how wide width the flames were spreading all the way to the far left side and all the way to the far right side where the 2 large towers still have a fire truck spraying water into the tall broken window in one of the towers.

It seems like the flames spread so far wide so fast. Its hard to understand how wide this fire got so quickly.

I can understand the roof and straight up burning but I am struggling to understand how it spread so far wide width.

The interior is chock full of tinder. Almost literally a tinderbox. This building was effectively doomed as soon as the fire broke out

 

[PommyMommy]

News about Notre Dame on Twitter
Els mitjans francesos parlen d’una roda de premsa sobre l’incendi de Notre-Dame cap a les 22.30.

Translated from Catalan by Microsoft:

The French media speak of a press conference on the fire Notre-Dame towards 22.30.

 

[pandamonium]

Is anyone surprised by how wide width the flames were spreading all the way to the far left side and all the way to the far right side where the 2 large towers still have a fire truck spraying water into the tall broken window in one of the towers.

It seems like the flames spread so far wide so fast. Its hard to understand how wide this fire got so quickly.

I can understand the roof and straight up burning but I am struggling to understand how it spread so far wide width.

The roof is so high, allowing for lots of air, which fuels fires. Add a combination of really old wood, which burns fast, and fire can move really fast.

 

[PommyMommy]

Sudheer Thirunilath on Twitter
We are so sad to see 850 years-old Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is burning!

 

[Keine Engel]

Fire Chief Jean-Claude Gallet said outside the iconic cathedral as his crews battled the blaze from both the exterior and interior: "We are not sure we are capable of stopping the spreading" to Notre Dame's second tower and belfry.

Notre Dame cathedral on fire - follow live updates

 

[Trident]

Its a tragedy. Imagine all the things that cathedral survived through. Its stood since before Columbus sailed to America and now its just gone.

Wow, thank you for putting it in those terms. Notre Dame was here before America. Hard to fathom, kind of puts thing in an even different light.

 

[flute4peace]

Is anyone surprised by how wide width the flames were spreading all the way to the far left side and all the way to the far right side where the 2 large towers still have a fire truck spraying water into the tall broken window in one of the towers.

It seems like the flames spread so far wide so fast. Its hard to understand how wide this fire got so quickly.

I can understand the roof and straight up burning but I am struggling to understand how it spread so far wide width.

Wind is blowing there, pushing the fire to the front of the building - in addition to what was already stated above.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Is anyone surprised by how wide width the flames were spreading all the way to the far left side and all the way to the far right side where the 2 large towers still have a fire truck spraying water into the tall broken window in one of the towers.

It seems like the flames spread so far wide so fast. Its hard to understand how wide this fire got so quickly.

I can understand the roof and straight up burning but I am struggling to understand how it spread so far wide width.

As with all medieval buildings is it timber framed with a roof lined with tonnes of lead. The sheer weight of it will have crashed into the floor below and the floor below that.

Some pics of inside, just stunning... inside notre dame - Google Search

I really hope they can save the towers.

 

[Hatfield]

The interior is chock full of tinder. Almost literally a tinderbox. This building was effectively doomed as soon as the fire broke out

For people that have visited that beautiful place, did anyone notice any inside fire sprinklers like hotels have in every room?

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

The Paris fire department is saying the fire may not be able to be stopped.

I'm so heartbroken.

Does this mean the bell towers will be destroyed as well? Tia

The bells, the beautiful bells of Notre Dame is what I thought of immediately when I heard the news of the fire

https://www.eutouring.com/notre_dame_cathedral_bells.html

 

[Cappuccino]

Wow, thank you for putting it in those terms. Notre Dame was here before America. Hard to fathom, kind of puts thing in an even different light.

Well I think America was actually there first, to be fair, but by the time Columbus discovered it this building had already stood for three centuries.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Crown of Thorns: Fears for Notre Dame Cathedral's most precious relic in huge fire

Fears are growing that Notre Dame’s most precious treasure, a relic venerated as the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus Christ, could have been badly damaged or destroyed in the fire.

The Crown of Thorns, considered Paris’s equivalent of the Crown Jewels, is stored at the end of a nave of the cathedral, not readily visible to visitors.

Said to have been worn by Christ before the crucifixion, it is presented to believers for veneration on the first Friday of each month and every Friday during Lent.

It is one of three holy artefacts, along with a fragment of the True Cross and one of the Holy Nails from the crucifixion.

 

[Inthedetails]

Wow, thank you for putting it in those terms. Notre Dame was here before America. Hard to fathom, kind of puts thing in an even different light.

Notre Dame was there hundreds of years before Columbus sailed. It was already an old place when he set sail. Hard to comprehend.

1164 construction started
1345 construction completed

(1492 Columbus' first voyage)

 

[Trident]

Well I think America was actually there first, to be fair, but by the time Columbus discovered it this building had already stood for three centuries.

 

[flute4peace]

I was streaming CBSN while driving to pick up my daughter so wasn’t able to look at the screen to get his name, but they were interviewing a fire expert who pretty much confirmed what many here have been saying. This was a lost cause at ignition, due to the fire load, size of the building, logistical conditions & wind. He also said that air drops aren’t used in urban areas for safety reasons. They’re just not accurate enough. This had to be a defensive approach due to risk of collapse. Life comes first.

My own opinion based on some of what he said - it’s by the Grace of God that nobody was hurt.

 

[Keine Engel]

Notre Dame on fire seen from a French police drone

Liveuamap on Twitter

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Wow, thank you for putting it in those terms. Notre Dame was here before America. Hard to fathom, kind of puts thing in an even different light.

Indeed. It was started in 1160 and took 100 years of building before the magnificent rose windows were put in.

Someone else said upthread that those windows were diligently removed, piece by piece, during one of the wars to preserve them, and then carefully put back together again. Sad to think they'll have just melted away.

 

[ZaZara]

Burning cross. Drone picture.

Alexandre Fremont on Twitter

 

[Inthedetails]

Notre Dame on fire seen from a French police drone

Liveuamap on Twitter

Wow. I've been watching images all afternoon and even after seeing the flames, and smoke and destruction....this image takes my breath away. The place is gone.

jmo