Notre Dame investigation: arson ruled out as investigators say inferno that tore through cathedral 'was probably an accident'

Ella Wills16 April 2019

A devastating fire that tore through the world famous Notre Dame cathedral was probably an accident, French prosecutors have said.

Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said on Tuesday that there was no evidence of arson in the blaze and that investigators are working on the assumption that the inferno was accidental.

Speaking after firefighters doused the last of the flames overnight, Mr Heitz told reporters that the investigation will be "long and complex."

Paris firefighters confirmed this morning that the blaze had been fully extinguished.

The altar inside Notre Dame glints in sunlight inside the charred shell of the cathedral
Philippe Wojazer/Pool via AP

More than 400 firemen were needed to tame the fire that consumed the roof and collapsed the spire of the eight-centuries-old cathedral. They worked through the night to bring the fire under control.

"We are favouring the theory of an accident," Mr Heitz said, adding that 50 people were working on the investigation.

Parisians look on at the damage the day after the fire
PA

One firefighter was injured but no one else was reported hurt in the blaze which began after the building was closed to the public for the evening.

The fire, which broke out as the last crowds of tourists ended visits at around 6pm BST (7pm local time), torched the cathedral’s roof, sending its spire crashing to the ground before crowds of horrified Parisians.

Aftermath of Notre Dame Cathedral fire - In pictures

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From the outside, the imposing bell towers and outer walls, with their vast flying buttresses, still stood firm on Tuesday, but the insides and the upper structure were eviscerated by the blaze.

Investigators will not be able to enter the cathedral's blackened nave until experts are satisfied its stone walls withstood the heat and the building is structurally sound.

Flames and smoke rise as the spire of Notre Dame cathedral collapses in Paris 
AP

"The fire is fully extinguished," fire service spokesman Gabriel Plus told reporters. "Our job today is to monitor the structure and its movements."

The fire swiftly ripped through the cathedral's timbered roof supports, where workmen had been carrying out extensive renovations to collapsed balustrades and crumbling gargoyles, as well as the spire's wooden frame.

The Paris prosecutor has opened an investigation into "involuntary destruction by fire".

Hundreds of stunned onlookers had lined the banks of the Seine river late into the night as the fire raged, reciting prayers and singing liturgical music in harmony as they stood in vigil.

"It's a symbol of our country that risked being destroyed," Culture Minister Franck Riester said.

Gilded candlesticks, artworks and furnishings were among the treasures seen being rushed from the cathedral by a "human chain" before being bundled into trucks by police officers.

People kneel on the pavement as they pray outside watching flames engulf Notre Dame Cathedral
AFP/Getty Images

Some of the cathedral's most precious objects, including a priceless replica of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ on the cross, were rescued.

Visiting the scene on Monday night, French president Emmanuel Macron said a national subscription would be launched to rebuild the national monument visited by more than 13 million people annually.

Notre Dame is owned by the state and has been at the centre of a years-long row between the nation and the Paris archdiocese over who should bear the brunt of costs for badly needed restoration work.

It was reported that two of France's wealthiest men, Francois-Henri Pinault, chief executive of the Kering group which owns brands including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, and Bernard Arnault, the main shareholder of luxury group LVMH, said they would donate 100 million euros (£86 million) and 200 million euros (£172 million) respectively. The city of Paris pledged 50 million euros (£43 million).

Notre Dame Cathedral fire - In pictures

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"Notre Dame is our history, our imagination, where we've lived all our great moments, and is the epicentre of our lives," Mr Macron said.

"It's the story of our books, our paintings. It's the cathedral for all French people, even if they have never been. But it is burning and I know this sadness will be felt by all of our citizens."

Other campaigns were launched as well-wishers around the world pledged contributions via social media.

Notre Dame is one of Paris's oldest and most recognisable buildings, and work began on it in 1163.

The original structure was completed nearly 200 years later, in 1345, and its name literally translates to "Our Lady of Paris".

Some 13 million people now visit the Catholic landmark every year - more than 30,000 every day on average - according to its official website, and it is believed to be one of the most visited structures in the French capital.

Renovation works to fix Notre Dame's historic stone walls and buttresses were estimated to cost around 150 million euro (£130 million).

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