The Notre-Dame fire was a structural fire that broke out in the roof space of Notre-Dame de Paris, a medieval Catholic cathedral in Paris, France, on 15 April 2019. By the time the fire was extinguished, the cathedral's wooden spire (flèche) had collapsed, most of the wooden roof had been destroyed, and the cathedral's upper walls were severely damaged. Extensive damage to the interior was prevented by the vaulted stone ceiling, which largely contained the burning roof as it collapsed. Many works of art and religious relics were moved to safety, but others suffered smoke damage, and some of the exterior art was damaged or destroyed. The cathedral's altar, two pipe organs, and three 13th-century rose windows suffered little or no damage. Three emergency workers were injured, and the site and nearby areas of Paris were contaminated with toxic dust and lead. Investigators in 2020 believed the fire to have been "started by either a cigarette or a short circuit in the electrical system". French president Emmanuel Macron set a five-year deadline to restore the cathedral. This photograph shows the central section of Notre-Dame's spire engulfed in flames.Photograph credit: Guillaume Levrier
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