Videos show fire raging as the historic Notre Dame Cathedral burns

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has caught fire, and videos from witnesses captured the blaze as smoke billowed from the historic building and the spire collapsed.

“Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame,” Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot told French media, according to the Associated Press.

The fire was reported at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Paris, France, the New York Times reported.

“Large parts of the roof already appear to have been burned...,” CNN reported. “The spire also collapsed during the fire.”

Photos and videos posted to Twitter show the flames and smoke billowing from the historic cathedral.

“The area around the 850-year-old cathedral is being cleared, a city hall spokesperson said on Twitter,” according to the Independent.

“Paris police warned people to stay away from the area around the cathedral, which is one of the city’s most famous landmarks, drawing about 13 million visitors a year,” the Times reported.

The cathedral is “more than a historical monument,” according to the translated cathedral website. “This cathedral is above all ‘the House of God and the House of Man’ because this building is loaded with human and Christian experience.”

“The cause of the catastrophic blaze was not known, but French media quoted the Paris fire brigade as saying the fire is ‘potentially linked’ to a 6 million-euro ($6.8 million) renovation project on the church’s spire and its 250 tons of lead,” according to the AP.

The cathedral was built in the 12th and 13th centuries, and it’s “currently undergoing extensive renovation work,” the Times reported. “Last week, several statues were lifted by crane from the spire.”

It “is home to incalculable works of art,” the AP reports.

This story was originally published April 15, 2019 at 1:36 PM with the headline "Videos show fire raging as the historic Notre Dame Cathedral burns."