Fire at the pinnacle of the Gothic Cathedral in Rouen, France
The fire at the top of the Vierungsturm from the 19th century caused large smoke plumes. The cause of the fire is still unknown, wrote Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol in the online service X. The tower is currently being renovated and is surrounded by a scaffolding covered with a white plastic sheet. Pictures on online services showed that a part of this sheet had caught fire.
"The workers on the construction site reported the fire," said Gouezec. Three of them had initially used fire extinguishers and inhaled smoke in the process. The workers' base is located at approximately 120 meters in height. Around 70 firefighters and 40 fire trucks were involved in the firefighting efforts.
The Cathedral was evacuated, the prefecture announced. The police closed off the area and asked the population not to hinder the firefighting efforts. It was being checked whether possibly artworks inside the cathedral might have been damaged by firewater, said Prefect Jean-Benoît Albertini. The Culture Ministry ruled out a collapse risk.
The Cathedral of Rouen is one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture and was frequently painted by Claude Monet. The 151 meter high tower spire is made of cast iron. It replaced a wooden predecessor model that was struck by lightning in 1822. Until the completion of the Cologne Cathedral in 1880, the Cathedral of Rouen was the tallest building in the world. The renovation works began in 2017. During this time, fireproof walls are also being installed in the roof structure.
During the fire at Notre-Dame in Paris in 2019, the similarly aged Vierungsturm was in flames and fell into the church interior. The renovation works are almost completed, the church is expected to reopen in December.
The fire at the peak of the Tower in Rouen's Cathedral, resembling Notre-Dame's Vierungsturm incident, was reported by the construction site workers. AFP's images highlighted a portion of the scaffolding's white plastic sheet, which had unfortunately ignited, causing concern.
The Cathedral Notre-Dame of Rouen, known for its significant role in Gothic architecture, has fortunately not faced a collapse risk, despite the fire. Its iconic Peak Tower, made of cast iron, will likely emerge from the renovation process stronger and safer.
The day after the big fire, the AFP reported that Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, the mayor of Rouen, had expressed gratitude towards the firefighters' swift response, keeping any damage to a minimum.
The Roof structure of Rouen's Cathedral, undergoing renovation, saw the installation of fireproof walls in 2017. This precautionary move, implemented after the Notre-Dame fire in Paris, aims to protect the Cathedral's priceless artworks and history.
