ANOTHER HISTORIC FRENCH CATHEDRAL BURNS; ARSON PROBE LAUNCHED
officials launched an arson inquiry Saturday after a fire broke out in the 15th century Gothic cathedral of the western French city of Nantes, shattering stained glass windows and sending black smoke spewing from between its towers.
An official said fire broke out in three separate places inside the cathedral.
“When you see three separate fire outbreaks, it’s a question of common sense, you open an investigation,” said Nantes prosecutor Pierre Sennes.
Residents and tourists watched aghast, and emergency workers cordoned off the area around the St. Peter and
St. Paul Cathedral, in the historical center of this city on the Loire River.
A City Hall official said the fire broke out Saturday morning inside the cathedral, and the cause is unclear. The official is not authorized to be publicly named. No injuries have been reported.
Memories of Notre Dame
The local firefighter service said the roof is not affected by the fire and was “under control.”
They brushed aside comparisons with Notre Dame cathedral in Paris whose lead roof and spire burned down in April 2019. The Nantes fire for many will bring back memories of that devastating blaze that threatened to topple the medieval monument.
“After Notre-dame, the Saint-pierre-et-saint-paul cathedral, in the heart of Nantes, is in flames. Support for our firefighters who take all risks to save this Gothic jewel of the city,” French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted.
Saturday’s fire broke the main stained glass windows between the two towers of the 15th century cathedral, which also suffered a serious fire in 1972.
“It is a part of our history, a part of our heritage” Nantes Mayor Johanna Rolland told reporters. “We all have these images in mind, this story in our hearts.”