Fire At France's Rouen Cathedral Successfully Extinguished

Rouen/UNSPLASH/Barry Talley Cathedral

JAKARTA - Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire in the historic cathedral Rouen in France. Residents were worried about the recurrence of the big Notre-Dame fire in Paris when they saw black smoke rising from the top of the tower.

People watched in horror as 40 fire engines rushed to the scene and emergency workers posted guard around the cathedral, France's medieval Gotik architecture popularized by impressive painting Claude Monet in the 19th century.

The fire was extinguished at 16.30 local time, Thursday, July 11, local fire authorities said.

The top of the tower has been renovated for years and surrounded by castechs and white covers as fires began to occur about 120 meters above ground level.

Eye witness Patrick Waeselynck told BFM television he was sitting on the cafe terrace when he heard shouts ai'.

"I turned around and I saw the top of the cathedral tower, the tarpaulin protecting restoration work, burning, a big fire, black smoke," he said.

"The first thing we thought about was what happened in Paris, of course it was shocking. But the police came, they put up a safety line, and firefighters came."

The workers involved in the renovation gave a warning, fire chief Stephane Gouezec said.

"The element that caught fire when we arrived was a plastic element from the workplace," Gouezec told several TV channels outside the building.

"I saw the flames, I saw black smoke in particular, and then my fear of the staff and the site workers, that was my first concern, which was quickly calmed down."

A local official said they were assessing whether any part of his cathedral or artwork was damaged by the water bursts used to extinguish the fire.

"This is one of the most beautiful monuments in the city and we hope there won't be much damage," said Benjamin Gliksman, 42, owner of a cassette shop.