Notre Dame in Paris is burning.

It makes me feel ill that such a historical structure is basically going to be totally lost.

 

It is heart breaking but I have high hope for the restoration of Notre Dame.
Let’s wait and see.

 

Beyond words.

 

It has been destroyed and restored many times and I hope the restoration happens yet again. Seeing the famous spire topple in the fire was gut-wrenching.

 

Some good news, all of its treasures had been removed and safely stored due to the works that were taking place.
"«Toutes les œuvres d'art ont été sauvées. Le trésor de la cathédrale est intact, la couronne d'épines, les saints sacrements», selon le journaliste Nicolas Delesalle, qui dit tenir cette information d'un prêtre présent sur place."
Un incendie ravage Notre-Dame-de-Paris, stupeur planétaire

 

...but not all good news, the Paris fire department is not certain they can contain the blaze and it may bring down one of the towers.
That would be awful.

 

Very sad!

 

I watched it burn uncontrolled for so long it seemed unreal. Huge crowds watching and no firemen in sight. The talking heads were saying the height of the flames was an issue for the local FD, hard to believe that's true

 

This is what I am reading in Le Parisien, BFMTV, Liberation, Le Monde and France Info.

It is very narrow streets in Ile de la Cite, except for around the Cathedral.
The FD had to deploy the electric ladders but the spire was 93m high and the water cannons did not reach.
The helicopters and planes could not be used as the weight of the water would risk bringing the entire building down.
It is very early but these were major repair works that had started.
The fire seems to have started under the rooftop.
A formal investigation has been initiated but priority is to contain the blaze if possible at all.
No casualties.
Surrounding buildings evacuated.
Tourist boats stopped and diverted.
Access to Ile de la Cite cut off to traffic.

You could run these through Google Translate
http://www.leparisien.fr/paris-75/i...le-notre-dame-de-paris-15-04-2019-8053935.php
Sauver Notre-Dame «n'est pas acquis»
Incendie de Notre-Dame, en direct : « On n’est pas sûrs de pouvoir enrayer la propagation du feu », craint un porte-parole des pompiers

It is now night time in Paris and I hope the fire department and everyone else is safe.
Narrow island, Seine river supplying the water, heat, smoke, burning coals flying...
Fingers crossed.

 

It sounds like this may be the most extensive threat to the historical portions of it that remained along with the core; it's been repaired/restored to varying degrees over the centuries with reproduction works made along the way but this may be a really thorough catastrophe from a historical viewpoint.

I was there in 2012 on a business trip - just had time to stop out front of Notre Dame for a few minutes and I remember thinking that we should find a way to get back to Paris with more time....'seize the day', for sure.

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I'm thankful we visited the Christchurch cathedral before the earthquake brought it down.

Sean

 

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The Paris Police has published a photo of the blaze taken from its drone.
It has been captured and shared.

La photo impressionnante d'un drone qui a survolé Notre-Dame en feu

 

The Reuters news agency is quoting an official with the French firefighting team as saying: "We can now say that the structure of Notre Dame has been saved from total destruction" - here's hoping. Also reported that one firefighter has been seriously injured.

 

Randy say : No firemen in sight ??? *** ? really ?  Morty wrote : Toutes les oeuvres d art on etees sauvees !! that's certainly not true
There was more than 2000 fire fighters on site ….Just think that Paris is not build like cities in the Us ...L'Ile de la cite where is Notre Dame is very difficult to reach...and cathedral is only accessible for fire trucks from one narrow street on side of Notre Dame ….lots of garden around this church not accessible by fire trucks...
Also unlike in the States no sprinkler line s mandatory in French public building...Big loss for France ...im French ( nobody is perfect  ) lets hope Notre Dame will be rebuilt soon

 

I've been following this tragedy for many hours, and it breaks my heart. I was fortunate enough to have been a "Professeur invité" twice at UPMC (Paris 6), and those months were enough to make me tear up at the images I've seen today . . .

 

A picture from my one and only visit in the early '90s:

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Thanks. It's a scan from an Agfa slide.