Fire has broken out in the spire of Rouen Cathedral, the monumental Gothic edifice that is the seat of the Catholic Church in Normandy, reports The Times.
A blaze began at the site of repair work high in the metal structure, sending a plume of black smoke high over the heart of the city, on the Seine 60 miles northwest of Paris.
“A fire has started on the spire of Rouen Cathedral. Origin unknown at this stage. All public resources are mobilised,” Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, the mayor, wrote on Twitter/X.
Police evacuated people from the building and set up a security zone around the cathedral as 33 fire engines converged to try to extinguish the fire.
One of France’s most famous buildings, Notre Dame de Rouen, is celebrated as the subject of a series of paintings by Claude Monet, who lived nearby.
The authorities asked motorists to stay away from central Rouen as more than 60 firefighters worked to raise a high ladder to reach the source of the blaze, which began at noon local time.