The historic place of worship was quickly evacuated as emergency crews battled the blaze, and a short time later, it was declared under control. The cause of the fire has not been established, however authorities have deemed it "accidental."
Shortly after 12pm local time, Rouen Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol posted an image of the smoking spire on X, which at 151 meters is the tallest in France. "Fire in progress on the spire of the cathedral," he wrote. "Origin unknown at this stage. All public resources are mobilized."
According to Le Monde, the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service sent 63 firefighters to tackle the blaze. Director Thomy Chauvel announced around 2 pm local time that it had been "brought under control," noting that, "at the moment we do not have the assurance that it is extinguished." He added that such a declaration will not be made until firefighters are sure all the "hot spots" are fully extinguished.
Over the next few hours, more first responders arrived, and the blaze was eventually declared contained. Crews remained on scene, however, to ensure that the fire does not start up again.
A number of officials visited the cathedral, including Minister of Culture Rachida Dati. "At this stage, and I speak under the authority of the public prosecutor, this is an accidental fire," she said, per BFMTV. An investigation is ongoing.
The Archbishop of Rouen, Dominique Lebrun, has vowed to try and have the cathedral reopened by tomorrow, though it will be up to authorities whether that comes to fruition.
Construction on the cathedral began in 1030, and it wasn't completed until 1506. The current spire was constructed in 1876, 54 years after a fire destroyed the previous one. It was made entirely out of cast iron, and as a result, failed to hold up to bad weather and other wear and tear. The latest round of renovations on the spire began in 2015.
