HOW THE SAVAGE INFERNO SPREAD

Fire alarm goes off at 5.20pm (GMT) but smoke is first seen billowing out of the roof below the spire at 5.30pm. Fire started in the cathedral’s attic which lies above stone arches visible from the floor. The attic is criss-crossed by giant timber trusses to help support the building.

With accumulated dust and debris making the attic even more flammable, the blaze quickly spreads across the 1,300 beams. By 11pm two-thirds of the roof has been destroyed. As the fire rages, onlookers watch aghast as the 300ft wooden spire covered in lead is engulfed in flames. By 6.30pm it collapses - first toppling to the side and then breaking off. 500 firefighters tackle the blaze late into the night. They save the two historic towers and the bulk of the structure. They form a human chain to save works of art and holy relics. Blaze put out by 11pm.