Spire of France’s famous cathedral on fire

The spire of a famous French cathedral is on fire, five years after Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was devastated by a massive blaze.

Pictures circulating on social media show flames and thick black smoke spewing from a scaffolding canopy near the top of the gothic building.

The Notre-Dame de Rouen Cathedral, a Catholic church in the northeastern Normandy region of France, is considered one of the country’s finest also for being home to a series of paintings by impressionist artist Claude Monet dating back to the 19th century.

Confirming a blaze had taken hold of the cathedral’s spire, Rouen Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol wrote on X: “A fire has started on the spire of Rouen Cathedral.” 

The mayor added the origin of the fire was not immediately clear, before saying: “All public resources are mobilised.”  

Regional officials said the blaze started in a section where building works were taking place. 

Prior to this incident, the cathedral’s spire had been surrounded by scaffolding and a white cover for several weeks.

The fire prompted the evacuation of the cathedral, consecrated in 1063, with emergency services urging people to avoid the area.

A security cordon was placed around the building, and 40 fire engines and 70 firefighters were reportedly called to work on the scene to extinguish the flames and limit the damage. 

The cast iron spire measures 495 feet in height. Rouen Cathedral, which from 1876 to 1880 was the tallest building in the world, is one of the most visited sites in the city.

This fire happened just months ahead of the scheduled reopening of the world-famous Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, which underwent major restoration works after a structural fire broke out in its roof space. 

In April, another historic spire was ravaged by a dire – the one on top of the Old Stock Exchange in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Engulfed by flame, the beautiful 183-foot spire broke off and fell onto the street.