Posted on 04/15/2019 2:36:08 PM PDT by Red Badger
French firefighters were racing Monday to save Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris after a colossal fire caused the spire of the historic edifice to crash to the ground and wiped out centuries of heritage.
The fire already destroyed the roof of the 850 year old UNESCO world heritage landmark, whose spectacular gothic spire collapsed before the eyes of horrified onlookers on a previously pristine early spring evening.
The fire, which came as Catholics prepare to celebrate Easter, sent orange flames and clouds of grey smoke billowing into the sky as stunned Parisians and tourists watched on in horror.
Some were in tears, others offered prayers from the banks of the river Seine as the inferno devoured the cathedral.
As darkness fell, some 400 firefighters battled against the odds to control the fire and save at least its iconic front towers which were still standing.
"This is really sad —- the saddest thing I've ever stood and watched in my life," said British tourist Sam Ogden, a 50-year-old onlooker, who had come to visit the cathedral with her family.
Gasps and cries of "Oh my god" erupted around an hour after the fire first broke out when the top portion of the church's spire came crashing down.
- 'France is Notre Dame' -
The cause of the blaze was not immediately confirmed. The cathedral had been undergoing intense restoration work which the fire service said could be linked to the blaze.
Last week, dramatic footage had shown workers removing 16 copper statues from the spire which was undergoing a revamp financed by the state and private donors.
Historians expressed incredulity at the collapse of a building that has been a symbol of France for almost a millenium and withstood war and revolution.
(Excerpt) Read more at afp.com ...
Heavy timber framing...Well seasoned after 800 years...
Cried out for fire sprinklers///
If someone set fire to MY HOUSE, I’d be very angry, wouldn’t you?...................
Notre Dame worker says fire was ‘deliberately set’…
https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/notre-dame-worker-says-fire-was-deliberately-set/
Notre Dame worker says fire was ‘deliberately set’:
https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/notre-dame-worker-says-fire-was-deliberately-set/
The cathedral is on an island in the river in teh center of Paris. The streets are ancient and narrow, clogged with tourists and local traffic, at the rush hour of the day. They faced gridlock of the worst kind at the worst possible time.
Kind of like it was pre-planned.................
OOOOooooh, I see what you’re sayin’....
They were very quick to announce that there was noooooo arson or terrorist attack.
Why would they do that when, so often, in close examination,
the truth is found.
The squirrelly French, still burning churches after all these years.
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