Update 7: Demonstrating just how ineffectual YouTube’s automated systems for filtering out ‘conspiratorial’ content truly are, BBG reports that one of the company’s algorithms accidentally flagged a live stream of the fire at Notre Dame as a “9/11 conspiracy”.

* * *

Update 6: A priest at the cathedral has told reporters that all of the priceless artwork inside the cathedral has been saved, including the crown of thorns and that “the treasure of the cathedral” is intact.

https://twitter.com/KoliaDelesalle/status/1117868188534919170

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the building itself.

* * *

Update 5: Though police quickly assured the public that the cause of the fire was ‘accidental’, Paris prosecutors have reportedly opened an investigation into what started the blaze.

As 400 firefighters combat the blaze, the flames have spread to one of the two towers that adorn the facade. The blaze is expected to burn for several hours, and a church official has told reporters that they expect the cathedral to be completely destroyed.

While addressing a round table on the economy in Minnesota, Trump offered more comments on the fire, Trump said the cathedral “looks like it’s burning to the ground.”

Macron offered his thoughts and prayers to all Catholics in a tweet.

Unesco is also closely monitoring the situation.

Though officials say the fire looks like an accident, it’s certainly curious that ten Catholic churches have been vandalized across France in the span of a week.

https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1117858258788724737

With the inside probably irrepairably damaged, if not completely lost, some are sharing photos of the interior of the cathedral.

To recap, the cathedral’s 15-foot lead spire has collapsed, and the roof has as well, during holy week on the Catholic calendar, which is a busy season for Paris’s most popular tourist attraction.

* * *

Update 4: Though he was tweeting before the spire collapsed, this thread from a former state public safety official in the US offers some insights into the monumental task facing the Parisian firefighters as they rush to save the cathedral.

https://twitter.com/GreggFavre/status/1117847726786371585

This is (most likely) what is causing the fire to “run the roof” as seen in the first picture. The fire is essentially burning unchecked.

If it started high in the building, Paris Fire may be able to save the walls, but roof is basically surrounded at this point.

— Gregg Favre (@GreggFavre) April 15, 2019

 
 
 
 
 

* * *

Update 3: It’s looking increasingly likely that the cathedral will be burned to the ground after a church spokesman confirmed that its entire frame is on fire after the spire collapse. The government is desperately trying to save the artwork inside the cathedral.

 

https://twitter.com/kathrynw5/status/1117854945741504512

https://twitter.com/kathrynw5/status/1117856263218421762

French firefighters are still putting together a plan to put out the blaze. The cathedral’s location on a small island in the middle of the Seine certainly isn’t helping.

 

https://twitter.com/benjaminhaddad/status/1117854175172251648

Though the cathedral has endured a number of threats during its more than 850 year history, the damage from today’s fire is unprecedented, one source claimed.

The cathedral was ransacked during the French revolution, but was largely rebuilt in the 1840s. The spire that collapsed went up about 150 years ago.
 

* * *

Update 2: The cathedral’s spire and roof have now collapsed.

https://twitter.com/pzf/status/1117848969105645568

https://twitter.com/pzf/status/1117848126457409537

https://twitter.com/PrisonPlanet/status/1117848702175961090

Since officials are blaming the fire on an ‘accident’ related to the renovations…just imagine renovating one of the world’s most historic landmarks then accidentally burning it to the ground.

The neighborhood around the cathedral has been evacuated and Macron is reportedly on his way to the scene. Huge crowds have gathered around the banks of the Seine to watch in amazement as the cathedral burns.

* * *

Update: President Trump has weighed in on the blaze, urging parisian officials to act quickly to save the cathedral.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1117844987293487104

Here’s a live feed of the fire.

At this point, firefighters attacking the blaze are treating it as an accident somehow related to the “massive” construction happening at the cathedral, which was being renovated. Police later confirmed that the fire was an accident linked to the renovation work. The cathedral had been undergoing a $12.5 million renovation financed by the French state, after the Catholic church in France launched an “urgent” campaign to raise funds for the renovation, because the cathedral was starting to crumble.

Cracks had started appearing in the stone at the cathedral, sparking fears that it could become unstable, according to the BBC.

If there’s a silver lining, many of the historic statues were removed by crane just last night.

Meanwhile, the fact that the cathedral caught fire at the beginning of holy week, a time when catholic tourists have flocked to the city, added a layer of irony to the fire.

At this point, it looks like the cathedral’s spire has been totally destroyed.

https://twitter.com/pzf/status/1117846097467203584

French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed a policy speech to attend to the disaster. He had been planning to address the nation to announce plans to address the concerns of the gilet jaune protest movement. Monday night but that speech has reportedly been cancelled.

A spokesman for the cathedral said the fire began around 6:30 pm local time, or around 1:30 pm ET.

* * *

It’s unclear how it started or what, exactly, is going on, but the historic Notre Dame cathedral caught fire on Monday, and photos and video circulating on social media suggest that conflagration has engulfed the historic monument.

Photos have been circulating on social media:

The cause of the fire at the 856-year-old cathedral isn’t yet clear – though officials said it could be linked to renovation work. Parts of the roof and the cathedral’s skyline-definiing spire were alight, though the true extent of the blaze was difficult to discern. Construction on the cathedral began in 1163 and was completed in 1260. Today, it is the most visited tourist attraction in Paris, drawing 12 million visitors per year, beating out the Eiffel Tower. The cathedral is considered the finest example of French Gothic architecture.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted about the “terrible fire” and asked people to stay away: “A terrible fire is underway at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The @PompiersParis are trying to control the flames. We are mobilized on the spot in close connection with the @dioceseparis. I invite everyone to respect the security perimeter.”

The situation is a terrible tragedy as one of the most revered monuments in all of Catholicism looks like it could be completely destroyed, a historical tragedy that would be practically unrivaled in modern times.

We think this calls for a little levity.

This article appeared at ZeroHedge.com at:  https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-15/stunning-images-show-frances-historic-notre-dame-cathedral-engulfed-flames?fbclid=IwAR29QmVfqQ9RilPS_8vPogLu-X-iuYlOuoMZSiyJO_U792zqVaCjglU3Dik