Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Notre Dame Cathedral Is Burning
This is a fast-moving story, and absolutely devastating development during Holy Week. The BBC reports:
A fire has broken out at the famous Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, firefighters say.
The cause is not yet clear, but officials say it could be linked to renovation work.
Images on social media show plumes of smoke billowing into the air above the the 850-year-old Gothic building.
BREAKING; a major fire has broken out at #NotreDame Cathedral #Paris pic.twitter.com/3VZjmGlO52 pic.twitter.com/Jj4OYAX5kR
— Global Independent News (@GlobalinNews) April 15, 2019
DEVELOPING: Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral is on fire, with roof and spire of the nearly 900-year-old cathedral engulfed in flames https://t.co/fqbTzjK6vp pic.twitter.com/GzHsMKh6TN
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) April 15, 2019
#NotreDame: 'The roof has entirely collapsed, there are flames coming out the back of the cathedral as if it was a torch'@charli, Journalist at France 24, at the scene of the fire. pic.twitter.com/2B0IrMiDcL
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) April 15, 2019
Update: 8:23PM in Paris
Shep Smith on Fox News just reported that Paris fire fighters are just now beginning to get water on Notre Dame nearly three hours after the blaze was first reported.
Update 8:26PM in Paris
Notre Dame Spokesman: “Entire wooden interior of cathedral is burning, likely to be destroyed. Everything is burning. Nothing will remain from the frame.”
Update 9:12PM in Paris
The fire has spread to one of the two iconic bell towers, according to reports.
Published in Culture, History
There’s a picture for our times. Our Lady is burning. Ora pro nobis.
Dreadful. Reports are that part of the cathedral are collapsing. It looks worse on TV now, and as though the fire is moving along the long nave section. Very sad.
On a comical note, the Fox anchor just said that Joan of Arc was “beautified” at Notre Dame many years ago.
Eds,
The fire is out of control. The damage will be massive.
Regards,
Jim
That’s just about the saddest image ever.
That’s probably the world’s most famous church except for perhaps St. Peter’s Basilica which might be viewed as more of a Roman Catholic symbol.
What a nightmare!
Eds,
Has anyone tried to contact Claire?
Regards,
Jim
I’m really hoping this isn’t something nefarious-that could be real trouble.
It does happen though – we just had the historic 140 year old Trinity Lutheran Church in Milwaukee burn during renovations this past year. I was heartened to see it hasn’t been torn down – masonry is still intact and apparently sound. I believe they are going to rebuild – damage estimated at 17 million unfortunately. Roofing tools (torches were suspected – guessing from copper flashing/roofing?).
It happened during Holy Week. It’s very sad; let’s hope that the investigation is thorough and is not swayed by PC.
Yeah, what were they using for renovation? Rocket fuel?
What an awful sight! It’s also a dreadful week for such an historic cathedral to be ruined. I pray that the fire can be extinguished before the destruction is too much to repair. I’m so sad.
Terrible. I don’t even want to watch the videos.
Sadly, the fire seems like a physical metaphor for the decline of Christianity in Europe. What is that poem about the receding tide of religious belief?
Eds,
So far everyone has assumed the fire is related to the large reconstruction taking place on the roof. However, Ezra Levant on his twitter feed mentioned that in 2016 there was a terror scare.
Gas tanks and Arabic documents found in unmarked car by Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral spark terror fears
Regards,
Jim
Very sad. Other cathedrals and great architecture has burned and been restored over the centuries. I’m fairly confident such an iconic cathedral will be repaired eventually, no matter how extensive the damage.
Dover Beach, by Matthew Arnold.
Horrible.
When I was there a few years ago, I was struck by the din of the tourists inside. It was like a high school hall between periods.
Terrible . . .
It took hours for the fire fighters to start fighting this fire. Did they not have a contingency plan for the possibility that Notre Dame caught fire?
I want to hear from @claire, too. @jameslileks, @peterrobinson, @roblong—would y’all please ask her to join you on this week’s podcast?
I keep thinking back to my visits there. I went inside during a high school Latin class trip to Europe, but I only vaguely remember what it looked like inside. My wife and I visited it five years ago, but we only went to the doors in front.
I bought an engraving of it on my first trip, and I hate to think that all that remains might be only the pictures.
Don’t know what the story is on that. What they’ve said to this point is that it was rush hour, the streets were clogged and that it took time for them to clear the area. It seemed to take a very long time, though.
Also, there were/are supposed to be water tanks in the roof in case of exactly this. Between the two roof sections, I think.
Have to say that I think Trump’s idea of water-tanker planes was quite a good one. Pick it up in the Seine, dump it on the cathedral. Not sure why it took them so long.
The spire has collapsed.
Cannot like. I saw the video. Awful.
I used to restore churches. With old historic structures, sometimes the methods and materials used to do work on them are heavily scrutinized by historic review boards and commissions and those methods and materials aren’t the safest. Modern fire suppression tech and fire retardant materials may not be allowed in projects such as this. It doesn’t take much for a spark to hit a pot of boiling pitch and for all hell to break loose in an instant.
Three hours? Sorry, it’s not a good excuse that it was rush hour.
Words fail.
I would prefer it to be something like that, if the “spark” can be traced to a tool integral to the renovation. Dread the thought that it was some construction worker on a break having a smoke, and flicking his ash into a bucket of pitch. Or worse.
Sadly, if I remember correctly, the Seine River is right across the street.
Horrific.
Churches across France have been burned and desecrated for quite some time now, and according to NewsWeek, officials don’t know why.
Jihad Watch asks the right question on where to start looking.
I agree. Just reporting.
Any word of casualties? If there were people working in there, it’s hard to imagine that they all managed to evacuate.
It’s heartbreaking.