How Did the Notre Dame Fire Start?: 2019 Paris Incident

You might be aware of Notre Dame de Paris, a historical Catholic Cathedral located in Paris. Well, it went through a severe tragedy a few years ago, in 2019. A fire engulfed the structure of the Notre Dame Cathedral and caused substantial damage. Initially, the fire started in the roof space and later spread across the whole Cathedral. Many wooden materials were used in the structure of Notre Dame, which further fueled the fire. 

A huge amount of time was taken by the concerned authorities to tame the fire and stop everything from burning. In the meantime, a lot of damage was already caused to Notre Dame. Due to its historical significance and existence since the medieval age, this tragic event earned worldwide attention. Stay tuned if you are curious to know How Did the Notre Dame Fire Start?. & More. All relevant facts about the Notre Dame Fire will be presented to you elaborately ahead. 

What is the Notre Dame Fire Incident?

It refers to the fire that broke out in Notre Dame and caused extensive damage to the structure of the Cathedral. Specifically, this tragic event took place 5 years ago on April 15, 2019. It happened at 6:18 pm CEST. The fire lasted for around 15 hours according to sources. 

More than 400 Individuals from the firefighter authority worked all night to extinguish the ongoing fire. And the fire was extinguished around 8 to 9 hours later. During the fire, 2 police officers and a firefighter got injured while managing the scene. The fire was so intense that people could see huge clouds of smoke erupting from Notre Dame. It left a lot of damage on the cathedral indeed. 

Timeline – Firefighters, Delay, & More

The starting point of the fire was the attic. Indeed, the fire alarm was sounded after a couple minutes leading to the Cathedral being evacuated. One of the guards went to investigate the cause of the alarm. Unfortunately, he went and investigated the wrong attic. By the time his mistake was realised, it was already too late. The fire had been advancing at a fast pace, consuming different parts of the structure. As the alarm didn’t notify any authorities, the fire brigade was called manually after the guards came back. Thick black smoke and bright yellow flames covered the surroundings of Notre Dame. 

Due to the delay caused by guards it took more time for the firefighters to arrive and start extinguishing the fire. 400 plus firefighters were working at the scene trying to make the fire stop. They were also accompanied by government/municipal workers and police staff. With the purpose of not deflecting the flames inwards, the firefighters started extinguishing the fire from the inside of the Cathedral. The fire was completely stopped after around 15 hours. It was a long and unbearable night for everyone involved. This incident also provoked a feeling of sadness among the citizens because of the monumental value of Notre Dame. 

How Did the Notre Dame Fire Start? 

To this day, the exact cause of the Notre Dame Fire has not been pinpointed. Hence, the specific reason why this fire was started remains unknown. According to sources, it was possibly an accident. Thorough investigations have been done on this event by professionals, but no one has been able to conclude. The origin of this tragic fire remains a huge mystery. The different possible causes of the Notre Dame Fire are mentioned below: 

• Firstly, a huge majority of people believe that the fire was caused by a smoker. The individual might have accidentally discarded the cigarette in a dangerous manner, which ignited the fire. 
• Another common theory suggested by several investigations includes a malfunction in the electricity or a short circuit. 
• Some renovations were going on in the Cathedral prior to this fire. Many people believe that some carelessness by the renovation workers might have been the cause of the Notre Dame Fire. 

Notre Dame Fire: The Aftermath & Current Scenario 

The fire incident ended up causing a lot of damage in need of many repairs. The most significant damage was caused to the roof, spire, windows and vaulted ceilings. Aside from 3 injured individuals, no deaths happened in this incident. Many experts around the world believe that it could take between 10 to 40 years to completely reconstruct this cathedral. Meanwhile, the restoration is also going to cost a lot. 

There was a hype that it is going to be completely restored before the 2024 Paris Olympics. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen because of the substantial damage caused by the fire and the time needed to repair everything. However, the bells of the Notre Dame Cathedral rang for the first time 2024 since the fire incident. There is a huge emphasis on making the structure reliable and tough. 

Conclusion 

The Notre Dame Fire is certainly one of the darkest chapters of history in Paris, France. It shocked people worldwide and many people in France found this incident to be quite traumatic. However, it seems that the world is soon going to move forward and see this Cathedral reopen after all the repairs are completed. In conclusion, no specific plans or deadlines regarding the reconstruction have been released to the media. Hence, no one knows how long it will take to restore the cathedral. 

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