Was It Cigarettes Or An Electric Malfunction That Led To Notre-Dame Fire In 2019?

Notre-Dame Cathedral is set to officially reopen, over five years after the devastating fire caused extensive damage. US President-elect Donald Trump and the Prince of Wales are among the dignitaries attending the reopening ceremony in Paris this evening.

The event will also be graced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and the King and Queen of Belgium. As we all wait for the grand event, let’s have a look at what caused the massive Notre-Dame Cathedral fire in 2019.

Notre-Dame Cathedral Fire: What Really Happened?

On April 15, 2019, during an evening mass, Notre-Dame Cathedral’s fire alarm went off at 6:18 pm, signaling the start of a catastrophic blaze. Unfortunately, due to confusion among staff, the fire was not located immediately.

A new security employee, only three days into his job, instructed a guard to check the attic, but the guard mistakenly searched the sacristy attic instead. By the time the fire was identified in the main attic, the flames had spread extensively through the wooden lattice structure supporting the lead roof, known as la forêt. Firefighters were summoned only after this critical delay.

The Paris Fire Brigade arrived around 7:00 pm, delayed by traffic and the initial response errors. By the time they reached the scene, the fire had already breached the roof. Firefighters took significant risks, climbing 300 steps to reach the attic but were ultimately forced back by intense flames. After the iconic 19th-century spire designed by Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc collapsed, the fire brigade shifted focus to saving the cathedral’s towers.

The northern tower, which housed wooden beams supporting eight massive bells, was at risk of collapse. If the bells fell, they could destroy the tower, potentially leading to the collapse of the southern tower and the rest of the building.

More than 400 firefighters worked tirelessly, containing the flames in the northern tower by 9:45 pm and extinguishing the fire overnight. By morning, most of the roof and parts of the ribbed vaulting had been destroyed. Miraculously, there were no serious injuries, and many of the cathedral’s relics, artworks, and famed rose windows were preserved.

Factors That Worsened the Fire

Subsequent investigations highlighted several factors that exacerbated the blaze. Notre-Dame lacked a sprinkler system in its ceilings, relying primarily on fire prevention and detection. Firefighters also faced numerous challenges, including low water pressure and cramped spaces that made movement difficult.

Adding to the vulnerability, timbers in the roof had been treated with a flammable antifungal spray in 2018. Jean-Jacques Annaud’s 2022 documentary Notre-Dame on Fire revealed numerous safety failures, describing the incident as a culmination of multiple errors.

Public Reaction and Macron’s Commitment

The fire quickly gained global attention, with social media users reporting visible smoke by 6:52 pm. Images of the collapsing spire became a symbol of the tragedy. Crowds gathered to witness the event, including the church’s rector, Paris’s mayor, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron pledged to rebuild the cathedral within five years. By 2021, over €800 million had been raised from more than 40,000 donors worldwide. The restoration, expected to cost €700 million, is set to be completed by December 8, 2024.

Possible Causes of Notre-Dame Fire

While investigations confirmed the fire was accidental, the exact cause remains undetermined. Two primary theories have been suggested:

Cigarettes: Workers involved in scaffolding assembly admitted to smoking, and cigarette butts were found near the scaffolding. However, the fire originated inside the cathedral, where smoking was prohibited.

Electrical Faults: Scaffolding stored on the roof during restoration work may have damaged electrical wiring connected to the cathedral’s bells, potentially causing a short circuit.

The reconstruction effort uncovered surprising aspects of Notre-Dame’s construction. Researchers discovered extensive use of iron staples to bind stone blocks, a technique not commonly seen in Gothic architecture.

While iron staples were traditionally used on lower levels, Notre-Dame employed them throughout the structure. This discovery has positioned the cathedral, built between 1160 and 1350, as one of the earliest Gothic buildings to utilize iron on such a scale.