Rouen Cathedral's spire catches fire; blaze has been contained

A fire that broke out on the spire of Rouen Cathedral is reported to have been bought under control by firefighters who responded to the emergency in the northern French city. <br><br>The fire started on the morning of 11 July and sent a thick plume of smoke into the sky. With frightening echoes of the giant fire in 2019 that engulfed Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, onlookers looked on aghast as about 40 fire engines rushed to the scene, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/rouen-cathedrals-spire-is-fire-2024-07-11/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">reports</mark></a> <em>Reuters</em>. A cordon was established around the 12th-century cathedral, as about 70 firefighters sought to save one of France’s finest examples of medieval Gothic architecture, which became even more lauded after a series of paintings by the French impressionist Claude Monet. Renovation work on the spire has been going on for years and the structure was surrounded by scaffolding and a white cover when the fire began about 120 metres above ground level. It appears that plastic parts of the construction site caught fire, fire brigade chief Stephane Gouezec told local media, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg64r301erdo"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">reports</mark></a> the <em>BBC</em>. The metal spire itself did not appear to be damaged. By 11.15 a.m. local time, the plume of smoke had stopped billowing from the spire. Officials have confirmed that the blaze has now been contained. There are no reports of casualties and those working on the spire at the time are reported to be safe. The devastating fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris also started during renovation works. It destroyed the roof, the spire and almost brought down the main bell towers. Five years on, restoration of the French capital's iconic landmark continues, with renovation costs having reached 550 million euros ($599 million). Its reopening is scheduled for December 2024. <br><br><em>Photo: Rouen Cathedral and its famous spire, Normandy, France, 21 May 2010. (Photo by JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images.)</em>