A huge fire ripped through Paris’s Notre-Dame cathedral this evening – causing it’s spire to collapse.

Videos circulating on social media showed flames and plumes of smoke pouring from the roof of the medieval building after it caught light this evening.

The blaze was later brought under control, and officials revealed the building had been ‘saved’ from total destruction.

The steeple of the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral collapses (Picture: AFP)

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The spire has collapsed (Picture: AP)

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says firefighters are trying to contain the blaze (Picture: AFP)

A fire started in the late afternoon in one of the most visited monuments of the French capital (Picture: EPA)

The spire fell into the blaze (Picture: EPA)

Caption: epa07508762 The spire collapses while flames are burning the roof of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, 15 April 2019. A fire started in the late afternoon in one of the most visited monuments of the French capital. EPA/IAN LANGSDON

Photographer: IAN LANGSDON

Provider: EPA

Source: EPA

The blaze has since spread to the spire of the cathedral (Picture: AFP)

Smokes ascends as flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral (Picture: AFP)

Videos circulating on social media shows flames and plumes of smoke pouring from the roof (Picture: AFP)

The building caught fire this evening (Picture: Getty)

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Paris fire commander Jean-Claude Gallet said a major accomplishment of hundreds of firefighters was stopping the flames from spreading to the north tower belfry.


He said two-thirds of Notre Dame’s roofing ‘has been ravaged’ and one firefighter was injured.

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Fire crews will keep working overnight to cool down the structure, Mr Gallet said.



Speaking to Metro.co.uk, one witness said: ‘Started watching when it was smoking under the spire and near the scaffolding.

‘The smoke turned yellow and quite low in the sky – fire started blazing over the roof and now heading to the two towers.’

A police officer at the scene said: ‘An evacuation is in progress. People are being advised to clear the area.

‘Everything is collapsing.’

The Paris emergency services source confirmed that a water drop via plane or helicopter ‘was impossible’ because ‘the weight of the water dropped at low altitude would weaken the building and cause ‘extreme damage’.

This meant that the fire was effectively being able to blaze unattended, except for jets of water being pumped skywards from below.

French media quoted the Paris fire brigade saying the fire is ‘potentially linked’ to the renovation work.

‘Our priority is putting the fire out before working out what caused it,’ said an emergency services spokesman.

Firefighters have been entering the cathedral in a bid to rescue priceless pieces of art.

Joe Nice, an eyewitness at the scene, said: ‘This fire has progressively got worse. The back end of the church, you can see that that side of the roof is burning.

‘The fire department are moving away from the building.’

The cathedral is one the finest example of French Gothic architecture in Europe, and one of the most visited buildings in the world.

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French media quoted the Paris fire brigade saying the fire is ‘potentially linked’ to the renovation work (Picture: AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron has cancelled his planned speech to the nation in light of the ‘terrible fire’, said an official at the president’s Elysee office (Picture: AFP)

Notre Dame – which means ‘Our Lady’ – was build in 1160 and completed by 1260, and has been modified on a number of occasions throughout the century.

It is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, and is vistied by some 12million people every year.

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French President Emmanuel Macron has cancelled his planned speech to the nation in light of the ‘terrible fire’, said an official at the president’s Elysee office.

The news came as the fire spread towards the giant spire of the cathedral, as crowds gathered in nearby squares.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says firefighters are trying to contain the blaze.

US President Donald Trump suggested on Twitter that the fire was put out with ‘flying water tankers’.



‘So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,’ he wrote.

‘Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!’.