Fire engulfs Nantes Cathedral in France, prompting an arson investigation

SEBASTIEN SALOM-GOMIS/AFP via Getty Images
Firefighters are at work to put out a fire at the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral in Nantes, western France, on July 18, 2020. – A blaze that broke inside the gothic cathedral of Nantes on July 18 has been contained, emergency officials said, adding that the damage was not comparable to last year’s fire at Notre-Dame cathedral…

A fire ripped through the Nantes Cathedral in France Saturday morning, prompting an arson investigation into the cause of the blaze.

Video released by the French Federation of Firefighters showed flames engulfing the monument, sending a plume of black smoke into the sky.

French President Emmanuel Macron praised firefighters at the scene whom he said took “great risk to save this gothic gem in the city of the Dukes.”

However, the roof of the cathedral appeared to be unaffected, in contrast with last year’s blaze at Notre Dame that more seriously crippled the structure.

Nantes Mayor Johanna Rolland told CNN affiliate BFM that an arson investigation is underway to determine what sparked the fire.

Construction of the cathedral finished in 1891, though a fire in 1972 led to a renovation that lasted until 2013.

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