It was close.

Notre Dame Cathedral was within “15 to 30 minutes” of complete destruction as firefighters battled to stop flames reaching its gothic bell towers, French authorities have revealed.

A greater disaster was averted by members of the Paris fire brigade, who risked their lives to remain inside the burning monument to create a wall of water between the raging fire and two towers on the west facade.

Merci, pompiers.

The cathedral is owned by the state and has been at the centre of a years-long dispute between the nation and the Paris archdiocese over who should finance restoration work to collapsed balustrades, crumbling gargoyles and cracked facades.

How about both? Or maybe a 75/25 split, with the … Read the rest

More “it’s horrifying but it’s fixable and it’s not actually as horrifying as most of us thought” news: Sara L. Uckleman on Facebook, with a “please share”:

While what has happened to Notre Dame today has shocked me and moved me to tears more than once over the course of the evening, I’m finding that my background and training as a medievalist means I’m, overall, finding it a lot less devastating than many people.

Why?

Because I know how churches live. They are not static monuments to the past. They are built, they get burned, they are rebuilt, they are extended, they get ransacked, they get rebuilt, they collapse because they were not built well, they get rebuilt, they

Entire frame of Notre Dame cathedral is burning – follow live https://t.co/8zTxkQykeO pic.twitter.com/dM3nsGFArJ

— The Independent (@Independent) April 15, 2019

A BBC reporter says it’s fully engulfed and there will be nothing left.

This is agonizing.… Read the rest

The fire is gobbling it up as we watch. This is horrible.

Huge fire breaks out in Paris' famous Notre Dame cathedral https://t.co/xWiJR73tpH pic.twitter.com/MqdFHo4rMa

— TIME (@TIME) April 15, 2019

AAAAAGH

https://twitter.com/ZachWaltersWX/status/1117849020230062081

AAAAAAAAAAAAGH

https://twitter.com/AlexWhitcomb/status/1117849035023327232

The roof is gone. Fuckfuckfuck

https://twitter.com/NewsBreaking/status/1117849090086203392

https://twitter.com/Aka_Fabs_92/status/1117849160135241728

Update: the spire has collapsed.

MORE: Spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has collapsed https://t.co/mgO4CkDAwb pic.twitter.com/TPTs30FjZT

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2019

BREAKING: A fire has broken out at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. Built around 1260 AD, the cathedral is one of the city's most iconic sights. https://t.co/PMaLBErE59 pic.twitter.com/KavYiekGpM

— ABC News (@ABC) April 15, 2019

… Read the rest

Oh merde.

https://twitter.com/TwitterMoments/status/1117840323697414145

A fire has broken out in the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

Hope they get this under control. pic.twitter.com/e7YYqZSL5G

— Complex (@Complex) April 15, 2019

MERDE.

Notre Dame fire: Videos show 850-year-old Paris cathedral ablaze https://t.co/lcvzABudBY

— Fast Company (@FastCompany) April 15, 2019

MERDE MERDE MERDE it’s reached the spire.

The spire of the Notre Dame Cathedral is now on fire, and a part of the roof appears to have collapsed. WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/AsxBmDGty1 pic.twitter.com/bjQaxabYBD

— BNO News (@BNONews) April 15, 2019

… Read the rest