Short-circuit may have caused Notre Dame blaze France

Paris police investigators think an electrical short-circuit most likely caused the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, a police official said yesterday as France paid a day-long tribute to the firefighters who saved the world-renowned landmark.

A judicial police official told The Associated Press that investigators made an initial assessment of the cathedral on Wednesday but don’t have a green light to search Notre Dame’s charred interior because of ongoing safety hazards. The cathedral’s fragile walls were being shored up with wooden planks, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

Investigators so far believe the fire was accidental and are questioning both cathedral staff and workers who were carrying out renovations. The police official would not comment on an unsourced report in Le Parisian newspaper that investigators were looking at whether the fire could have been linked to a computer glitch or the temporary elevators used in the renovation work.

President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants Notre Dame restored in five years, in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics, which Paris is hosting. Experts have questioned the timeline, with some saying it could take three times that long to rebuild the 850-year-old treasure.

Earlier yesterday, Macron held a ceremony at the Elysee Palace to thank the hundreds of firefighters who battled the fast-moving fire at Notre Dame for nine hours starting Monday evening (local time), preventing the structure’s destruction and rescuing many of the important relics held inside. ‘‘We’ve seen before our eyes the right things perfectly organized in a few moments, with responsibility, courage, solidarity and a meticulous organisation’’, Macron said. ‘‘The worst has been avoided.’’ –AP