Notre-Dame de Paris fire facts for kids
From Quai de Montebello with the spire aflame
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| Date | 15 April 2019 |
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| Time | 18:20 CEST (16:20 UTC) |
| Duration | 15 hours |
| Venue | Notre-Dame Cathedral |
| Location | Paris |
| Cause | Unknown |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 3 |
| Property damage | Roof and spire destroyed; windows and vaulted ceilings damaged |
A big fire started at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. This happened around 6:50 PM local time on April 15, 2019. Notre-Dame is a famous Catholic cathedral right in the middle of Paris.
The fire caused the roof and the tall main spire to fall down. Luckily, the building's strong stone ceiling helped. It held back the burning roof as it collapsed. This stopped much worse damage inside the cathedral.
Around 11:00 PM that night, firefighters said they thought the main structure would be saved. This included the important north tower. At one point, people worried the north tower might also be destroyed.
More than 400 people worked hard to fight the fire. They used 18 special fire hoses to spray water on the flames. A few people were injured during the fire.
What Caused the Fire?
When the fire was happening, no one knew exactly what caused it. But it was thought to be an accident. Investigators looked closely at the idea of "accidental destruction by fire." They said it was too early to be sure.
It is still not known if some renovation work helped start the fire. Sometimes, fires linked to building work can burn slowly for hours before anyone sees them. The company doing the renovations said they followed all safety rules. They also said none of their workers were there when the fire began.
What Was Damaged?
The fire caused a lot of damage to the cathedral. Here is a list of what happened:
- The tall spire was completely destroyed.
- About two-thirds of the roof was burned away. This included 13,000 oak trees used when the cathedral was built. These trees were from the 12th to 14th centuries.
- Some of the domes inside were also affected.
- Luckily, statues that were on the roof had been removed for renovation. So, they were safe.
- Many important religious items, called relics, were saved.
- About 90 to 95 percent of the artworks inside the cathedral were also rescued.
- Three large holes were made in the stone ceiling.
- Several rows of wooden benches were crushed by falling pieces.
- The area around the cathedral became dirty with lead from the melted roof.
- Structural elements relevant to the fire
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Left: timber-and-lead roof above stone ceiling; center: stone exterior walls; right: stone flying buttresses
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Stone rib-vaulted ceiling
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Timber roof framing; vaulted ceiling lies below walkways
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Lead roof sheathing
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Roof and spire
- Views of south facade of Notre-Dame de Paris, before and after the fire
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South facade of Notre-Dame de Paris, 7 August 2017
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South facade, after the fire, 15 April 2019
Images for kids
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From Square René-Viviani at 7:51 PM
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The spire on fire
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Firefighters using a powerful water hose
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Animation showing the south facade before and after the fire. Scaffolding was up for renovations.
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The area directly under the crossing and two other parts of the ceiling collapsed.
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A plaque in front of the Hôtel de Ville honoring the cathedral and those who helped save it.
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The fire seen from Pont de la Tournelle
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Chartres Cathedral was rebuilt with iron and copper after an 1836 fire.
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White covers over metal beams were quickly put up to protect the inside from weather. Nets protect the outside walls.
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See also
In Spanish: Incendio de la catedral de Notre Dame de París para niños
