France vows to rebuild after Notre Dame fire

FAN Editor
France vows to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral after devastating fire

Notre Dame fire: What we know

  • A major fire erupted at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday.
  • The cathedral, which was undergoing renovations, suffered “colossal damages.”
  • The cause of the blaze remains unclear, but officials do not currently suspect terrorism or arson.
  • The fire was finally extinguished on Tuesday morning.
  • There were no deaths and only one firefighter reported injured.
  • Construction on Notre Dame began in 1163 and was completed in 1345.

The iconic spire at the top of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris collapsed after a major fire broke out Monday evening. Video showed part of the roof of the cathedral collapsing onto itself.

The flames were finally declared out on Tuesday morning, according to a spokesman for the Paris fire service. Gabriel Plus said Tuesday morning that “the entire fire is out,” and that the emergency services were “surveying the movement of the structures and extinguishing smoldering residues.”

Plus said that with the fire out, the next “phase is for the experts” to plan how to fortify what is left of the building.

Firefighters managed to save the cathedral’s landmark rectangular towers from the blaze, but a Paris deputy mayor, Emmanuel Gregoire, said the cathedral had suffered “colossal damages.” Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told reporters that the cathedral was “under permanent surveillance because it can still budge.”

France’s leader vowed to rebuild the landmark. In an address to the nation Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted it done within five years, but an expert told CBS News that reconstruction could take decades.

Parisian authorities said they were ruling out arson and possible terror-related motives as possible causes — at least for the moment — and treating the blaze as an accident, according to The Associated Press.

Photos show damage inside Notre Dame

Pictures from inside Notre Dame on Tuesday showed debris surrounding the altar, but the surrounding stonework appeared to be intact. A pile of fallen pieces of stone and charred wood were seen on a wet floor.

Charred debris surrounds the altar of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral in the aftermath of a massive fire April 16, 2019.
Charred debris surrounds the altar of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral in the aftermath of a massive fire April 16, 2019. Getty

Light shined through gaping holes in the intricately carved vaulted ceiling. Bertrand de Feydeau, vice president of the preservation group Fondation du Patrimoine, told the AP that the roof’s wooden beams can’t be remade because “we don’t, at the moment, have trees on our territory of the size that were cut in the 13th century.”

A view of the damaged roof and debris inside Notre Dame in Paris in the aftermath of a fire that devastated the cathedral, April 16, 2019.
A view of the damaged roof and debris inside Notre Dame in Paris in the aftermath of a fire that devastated the cathedral, April 16, 2019. Christophe Petit Tesson/Pool via Reuters

Empire State Building, One World Trade lit up in French flag colors

Two New York City landmarks – One World Trade Center and the spire of the Empire State Building and– lit up in blue, white and red in solidarity with the people of France and the Catholic community, CBS New York reports.

“Our hearts ached as we watched a devastating fire ravage one of the world’s most sacred and celebrated religious monuments. The Notre Dame Cathedral’s centuries of history, art and iconic architecture are irreplaceable, and we are deeply grateful to the brave first responders who worked diligently to extinguish the flames and save portions of this significant piece of French and Catholic history,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “New York stands in solidarity with the people of France and Catholics worldwide who are mourning this tremendous loss.”

Macron to gather Cabinet

Macron was to hold a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday dedicated entirely to mapping out a path forward after the devastating fire.

Macron’s office said the morning session would be followed by another one in the afternoon focused on the fundraising campaign in France, which has already had several high-profile, high-figure donors, and the massive reconstruction project.

A combination picture shows views of Notre Dame Cathedral before, left, and after a massive fire devastated large parts of the Gothic structure in Paris, France, April 16, 2019.
A combination picture shows views of Notre Dame Cathedral before, left, and after a massive fire devastated large parts of the Gothic structure in Paris, France, on April 16, 2019. Reuters

Macron was to speak with Pope Francis later on Tuesday by phone. The French leader postponed a speech he had been scheduled to give on Tuesday, addressing massive anti-government demonstrations, for an indefinite time, out of respect for “a moment of great national emotion.”

Heroes emerge

Paris’ Deputy Mayor for Tourism and Sports, Jean-Francois Martins, told “CBS This Morning” that he and others on the scene jumped into action to try and salvage the trove of art and artifacts housed in Notre Dame as the fire spread.

“We made a human chain, with our friends from the church…to get, as quick as possible, to get all the relics,” he said, noting that the crown of thorns believed to have been worn by Jesus Christ was among the items rescued.

“Thanks to the great bravery of all our firefighters, and as well all the public servants there, we had a very quick intervention. Very quickly a team was fully dedicated to save all these holy pieces, and specifically the relics and the crown,” Martins said. “Everything is safe and undamaged, and in our really bad day, we had one good news.”

Human chain saved key relics amid Notre Dame Cathedral fire

French Culture Minister Franck Riester told reporters in Paris on Tuesday that all the art and artifacts rescued from the cathedral would be transferred to another Parisian landmark, the Louvre Museum, for safe keeping.

Flying buttresses prevail

CBS News correspondent Seth Doane said new video gave people around the world their first look inside the charred cathedral on Tuesday.

He said two-thirds of the building’s roof was destroyed, but the medieval stone masons who built the iconic structure may have saved the main walls of the building by doing such a good job on the renowned flying buttresses, the half-arch supports that fortify the upper level of the cathedral.

notre-dame-buttresses.jpg
A March 2018 photo shows some of the flying buttresses of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. CBS/Anthony Wood

The flying buttresses, a Gothic architectural feature that revolutionized construction almost 1,000 years ago by allowing more delicate, tall structures to be made of masonry, look fragile, but they survived the fire.

Still no evidence of arson

The public prosecutor for Paris, Remy Heitz, said Tuesday that investigators were still “favoring the theory of an accident,” to explain the devastating blaze.

Heitz told reporters that some 50 people were taking part in what would be a “long” and “complex” investigation into the fire that is believed to have begun in the attic or roof of the ancient building.

Heitz said teams that had already been inside the charred building had found nothing to suggest the blaze had been started deliberately. Officials began pointing strongly to an accidental fire even before the flames had been brought under control early on Tuesday morning.

Great Organ, Crown of Christ saved

Gregoire, Paris’ deputy mayor, said on Tuesday that the famed “Great Organ” from Notre Dame, among the most famous and largest in the world, remained intact after the devastating blaze.

Gregoire told French television network BFMTV that an emergency plan to save Notre Dame’s myriad treasures was put into action quickly on Monday and managed to save much of the contents of the iconic cathedral.

Centuries of history burned in Notre Dame fire

The Great Organ, one of two in the structure, was built by Francois Thierry in the mid-18th century. It has an estimated 8,000 pipes.

Gregoire said there was “enormous relief” that so many priceless pieces of art and artifacts had been rescued from the burning structure.

Parisians hold vigil in honor of Notre Dame

Parisians sing in honor of Notre Dame Cathedral after massive fire

Parisians sang hymns in front of the Church of St. Sulpice during a vigil for Notre Dame Tuesday night. Hundreds gathered in front of the church and were expected to march in honor of the cathedral.

St. Sulpice is the second-largest church in Paris, according to the Catholic News Agency. The city’s archdiocese announced that the church would celebrate the Holy Week Masses that had been scheduled for Notre Dame, according to the outlet.

Pope offers prayers

Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said Tuesday on Twitter that Francis was “close to France,” and that he was offering prayers “for all those who are trying to cope with this dramatic situation.”

The Catholic Church’s leader reacted to the disaster during Holy Week with prayers for Catholics in France and for all Parisians, “under the shock of the terrible fire” that tore through the cathedral, which the Vatican called “a symbol of Christianity in France and in the world.”

Pete Buttigieg reacts, in French

Mayor Pete Buttigieg, of South Bend, Indiana, offered his condolences to the French people — in French — on Monday as he campaigned for the White House. Buttigieg officially entered the 2020 race for the presidency on Sunday.

The 37-year-old progressive small-town mayor from deep-red Indiana has surged to third place in recent polls in Iowa and New Hampshire. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Buttigieg is also one of the first openly gay candidates to vie for a major party’s presidential nomination.

He is known to speak several languages, and he was asked at an event on Monday to react to the fire by a correspondent for French network BFMTV.

“To the people of France I would like to say that the Notre Dame Cathedral was like a gift to humankind. We share the pain, but we also thank you for this gift to civilization,” he replied.

Notre Dame was undergoing massive renovation

The fire may potentially involve renovation work that was being carried out at the site, the fire service said. Extensive scaffolding covered a portion of the roof as part of the $6.8 million project before the fire broke out.

Massive fire tears through Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

​French President Macron: “We will rebuild”

Macron, the French leader, addressed the nation on Monday night. Macron called the fire a “terrible tragedy” and confirmed that the cathedral’s stone facade and two main towers avoided collapsing amid the destruction.

“I’m telling you all tonight — we will rebuild this cathedral together. This is probably part of the French destiny. And we will do it in the next years. Starting tomorrow, a national donation scheme will be started that will extend beyond our borders,” Macron said.

Notre Dame Cathedral’s history

Construction of Notre Dame began in 1163 during the reign of King Louis VII and was completed in 1345. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a worldwide Parisian icon and the location of some of the most important moments in the history of France.

Henry VI of England was crowned inside the cathedral in 1431 and Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned emperor of France inside the cathedral in 1804.

The cathedral receives nearly 13 million visitors a year and is home to exquisite religious artifacts, paintings, sculptures and other priceless works of art.

It had been undergoing renovations after cracks began to appear in the stone, sparking fears the structure could become unstable. CBS News’ Roxana Saberi reported in March 2018 that years of rain, snow and pollution had eroded the flying buttresses that prop the cathedral up.

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is falling apart

James Shepherd, director of preservation and facilities at the Washington National Cathedral, spoke with CBSN on Monday about Notre Dame’s epic history.

“That’s 800 years of history, of people pilgrimaging there and worshiping there, and the accumulation of culture,” Shepherd said by phone. “All of that will have to be taken into consideration as they try to repair this church and save it after this devastating fire.”

Shepherd spoke of Notre Dame’s “stunning and exclusive stained-glass windows,” which the cathedral’s heritage director said Tuesday don’t appear to have been destroyed in the fire. Shepherd called them “absolutely priceless and some of the best examples of European stained-glass windows.”

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