Watch: Rouen cathedral catches fire

The spire of a Gothic cathedral in France has caught fire.

The cathedral in Rouen, Normandy – one of France’s finest – was painted several times by Claude Monet, the impressionist artist, in the 19th century.

Television images on the BFM channel showed a dark plume of smoke rising from the spire and people in the streets below looking up in horror.

The fire broke out at around noon, and 33 fire engines and 63 firefighters were mobilised to tackle it.

Since 2017, renovations have been carried out on the spire, known as d’Alavoine and named after Jean-Antoine Alavoine, the 19th-century architect, in order to address concerns over structural integrity. It has been surrounded by scaffolding and a white cover for several weeks.

The Ministry of Culture said the fire had been caused by “mishandling by workers”, Le Figaro reported.

The scene was reminiscent of the devastating fire at Notre-Dame in Paris in 2019, which also started during renovation works.

The local prefecture, which exercises state authority in the region, said the cathedral had been evacuated and emergency services were on the scene. A security cordon was in place around the building, and the prefecture said there were no reports of casualties.

Witnesses speaking on BFM television described smoke emanating from the spire, recalling the Notre Dame fire, which toppled the building’s spire and destroyed its roof.

Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, the mayor of Rouen, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that “the beginning of a fire is under way on the spire of the cathedral of Rouen. The origin is unknown at this stage. All public resources are mobilised”.

In the latest images, smoke could still be seen through a gap in the white cover but was no longer rising in a dark column.

By around 2pm, the prefect of Normandie and Seine-Maritime announced on social media that the fire was under control, saying: “Fire at the top of the spire of Rouen cathedral. The fire is contained. Thanks to the firefighters, who continue to actively monitor the building.”

Firefighters are on site to make sure there are no hotspots. In a press briefing, Stéphane Gouezec, the director of the local fire and rescue department, said the fire broke out on a work base at 120 metres among “construction site plastics”. He added: “It was the construction workers who reported the start of the disaster to us.”

Jean-Benoît Albertini, the prefect of Seine-Maritime, told BFM: “We are dealing with a very high-value heritage asset. An inventory is under way of the works that could be affected by secondary water run-off. We may have to protect some works.”

Monsignor Dominique Lebrun, the Archbishop of the Diocese of Rouen, expressed relief that no one was hurt, and explained that precautions have been taken to protect the white tarpaulin surrounding the work platform around the spire from catching fire.

“It’s a race against time to bring water to the high parts to put out the fire. We also have to check whether flammable elements, such as the roof structure, can be reached,” he said. “It’s a great personal emotion.”

At 151 metres (495ft) tall, the cast iron spire is the highest in France. Construction began in the 12th century, and it once held the title of tallest spire in the world.

Rouen cathedral is one of the highlights of the Normandy Impressionist Festival, which started in March, ends in September and marks the 150th anniversary of the impressionist movement in  France. The cathedral is part of a walking tour that takes visitors in the footsteps of impressionist painters.