Is there anything firefighters could have done to control the blaze that tore through Paris’ historic Notre Dame Cathedral sooner? Experts say the combination of…
Is there anything firefighters could have done to control the blaze that tore through Paris’ historic Notre Dame Cathedral sooner?
Experts say the combination of a structure that’s more than 850 years old, built with heavy timber construction and soaring open spaces, and lacking sophisticated fire-protection systems led to the quick rise of flames Monday, which jeopardized the entire cathedral before firefighters brought the blaze under control.
“Very often when you’re confronted with something like this, there’s not much you can do,” said Glenn Corbett, a professor of fire science at John Jay College.
Fire hoses looked overmatched as flames raged across the cathedral’s wooden roof and burned bright orange for hours. The fire toppled a 300-foot (91-meter) spire and launched baseball-sized embers into the air.
While the cause remains under investigation, authorities said that the cathedral’s structure — including its landmark rectangular towers — has been saved.
Some of the factors that made Notre Dame a must-see for visitors to Paris — its age, sweeping size and French Gothic design featuring masonry walls and tree trunk-sized wooden beams — also made it a tinderbox and a difficult place to fight a fire, said U. S. Fire Administrator G. Keith Bryant.
With a building like that, it’s nearly impossible for firefighters to attack a fire from within.
