A fire has broken out in the tower of the medieval Rouen Cathedral, a landmark in northern France, which is currently undergoing renovations, but authorities say the blaze was quickly brought under control.
Witnesses reported on French television that they saw smoke rising from the tower shortly after noon on Thursday, recalling a devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2019 that caused the tower to topple and the roof to collapse.
The 12th-century Rouen Cathedral is considered a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and is extremely popular, not least because of a series of paintings by the impressionist Claude Monet that capture the asymmetrical west façade.
It is also the tallest church in France and one of the tallest cathedrals in the world. It is known for its three towers, each built in a different style.
Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol first posted on the social media platform X around midday: “There is a fire going on in the tower of Rouen Cathedral.”
Less than 90 minutes later, Stephane Gouezec of the Seine-Maritime fire department said that the source of the fire – about 120 metres high – had been found and the fire brought under control.
Emergency services are working to ensure there are no more “hotspots,” he said.
However, he told reporters that the risk of flame spread was low because the fire broke out in an area that was mostly metal.
Gouezec said construction workers were the first to notice the fire and alerted authorities.
According to regional authorities, the cathedral was evacuated and a security perimeter was set up.
The witnesses in Rouen were nervous because the memory of the fire at Notre Dame in Paris is still anchored in the national consciousness.
It also caught fire during renovations five years ago; after unprecedented reconstruction efforts, it is scheduled to reopen in December.
An accident was suspected as the cause of the fire.