The French do in fact have some Canadair waterbombers to fight the frequent mediterranean summer wildfires, but they will be in the south of the country.

Visited Notre Dame just last year. I hope most of the fire is just the scaffolding, but some is clearly the roof of the transept.

Not a full pull out. Seeing firefighters with hand lines up on the stone structure.

The roof and spire have just collapsed.

This is bad. 900 years of history lost in what, an hour or two?

quote:

Originally posted by rat2306:
Almost 800 years of history and heritage, gone in a couple of hours. And during Holy Week.

Which makes me suspicious...

The only upside is that due to the rennovation (which may have caused the fire), at least some artifacts were relocated.

I had to turn off the tv. I just can't watch anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

This is bad. 900 years of history lost in what, an hour or two?

And I'll bet it was because some knucklehead left dirty rags setting next to a heat source or something. . . I think that's how the fire at Windsor Castle started. . .

quote:

Originally posted by Hound Dog:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

This is bad. 900 years of history lost in what, an hour or two?

And I'll bet it was because some knucklehead left dirty rags setting next to a heat source or something. . . I think that's how the fire at Windsor Castle started. . .

Those Euro types; French and Germans especially ALL SMOKE LIKE FRIGGIN' CHIMNEYS too.

I visited there several times in the 1990s. I'm surprised there was so much wood in there. It all looked like stone to me.

I guess the roof was all wood. . .


We watched the Disney Hunchback movie just last night. This is a tragedy for the world, not just France.

Wood scaffolding currently around the structure probably didn't help matters.

Absolutely heartbreaking. I've been there many times. It has always been a favorite spot of mine in Paris.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
The roof and spire have just collapsed.

This is bad. 900 years of history lost in what, an hour or two?

quote:

Originally posted by rat2306:
Almost 800 years of history and heritage, gone in a couple of hours. And during Holy Week.

Which makes me suspicious...

Hound Dog and you may have called it; smoking around the site, oily rags... I heard on the CBS video that some of the artworks and heirlooms had been secured, but many remained so that visitors during renovation could view them. They're having gusty winds there also today. Disaster.

quote:

Originally posted by rat2306:
Almost 800 years of history and heritage, gone in a couple of hours. And during Holy Week.

Yes, but Christian heritage. What is the possibility that some Muslim workers set the blaze intentionally? 800 years w/o a fire then at the height of Muslim "integration" the entire structure burns to the ground. Without any proof one way or the other, statistically this is more than suspicious. Lots and lots of anti-western, anti-Christian Muslims are probably grinning from ear to ear.

Dear God.

Well the is the Eglise de St. Sulpice.

Does anyone else have the sneaking suspicion that due to the time of year and speed of the blaze that it could be arson?

quote:

Originally posted by Rev. A. J. Forsyth:
Does anyone else have the sneaking suspicion that due to the time of year and speed of the blaze that it could be arson?

If it's not arson, it would seem to be the type of incompetence that is legion.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by Hound Dog:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

This is bad. 900 years of history lost in what, an hour or two?

And I'll bet it was because some knucklehead left dirty rags setting next to a heat source or something. . . I think that's how the fire at Windsor Castle started. . .

Those Euro types; French and Germans especially ALL SMOKE LIKE FRIGGIN' CHIMNEYS too.

This would be my best estimate also with renovations going on there. Having worked on hundreds of construction sites, smokers will sneak/hide just about anywhere to get a smoke in. Doesn’t matter whatsoever if a job site is “smoke free”.

It’s kind of like a metaphor for Christianity in Europe. Maybe they’ll put a mosque on the site eventually.

And consider this. The fire reportedly started around 1850. Visiting hours ends at 1845...

Yeah, arson is a definite possibility, too. News keeps saying 'how fast it spread.'

I'm no contractor, but is it normal to have wood scaffolding? Most of what I've seen here in the US is metal, with maybe some planking. The video looks like it's all wood.

Reminds me of Hitler's 'scorched Earth' order as the Germans were pulling out of Paris in WWII. The officer responsible for destroying Eifel, Notre Dame, and all the other major historical buildings simply refused to carry out the order. He didn't want to be remembered as the man who destroyed Paris. . .

From Zero Hedge. Not good.

quote:

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.

Kathryn Watson
✔
@kathrynw5
PARIS (AP) - A church spokesman has told French media that all of Notre Dame Cathedral's frame is burning after spire collapsed.

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2:19 PM - Apr 15, 2019