Fire at the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral

Posted by Ron Brewer on Apr 16, 2019 4:19:50 PM

A major fire broke out Monday at France’s world-famous Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, the flames caused the cathedral's narrow spire to collapse.

Construction of the cathedral began in 1160 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely complete by 1260, though it has been modified frequently in the ensuing centuries. In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered desecration during the French Revolution; much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. The cathedral escaped relatively unscathed during the first and second world wars. 

Experts say the combination of a structure that is more than 850 years old, built with heavy timber construction and soaring open spaces, and which lacks modern fire-protection systems inhibited firefighting operations. 

Notre

At the time of the fire, the cathedral was undergoing renovations.  A Paris fire brigade official stated the fire is "potentially linked" to this 6 million-euro renovation project on the church's spire and its 250 tons of lead.  The official cause of the fire remains under investigation. Authorities say that the cathedral’s structure, including its landmark rectangular towers, have been saved.

The installation of modern fire detection and suppression system, and fire prevention methods must become a priority if we are to ensure the safety of these irreplaceable heritage buildings. 

Contact Ron Brewer for a Free Consultation

Topics: Sprinkler Piping System, Retrofitting to Improve Safety, Heritage Buildings, Loss Investigation, Code Compliance Reviews


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Written by

Ron Brewer

Mr. Brewer has a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, and an MS in Fire Protection Engineering from the Worchester Polytechnic Institute. He is a registered professional engineer in Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia. Mr. Brewer has worked in the fire protection industry for over 30 years. He has considerable experience in the design, implementation, and commissioning of both fire alarm systems and special hazard suppression systems. He also has focused on code consulting, performance-based design, hazard assessment, and explosion protection. He has worked in industrial, commercial, healthcare, institutional, residential and nuclear industries. Mr. Brewer is currently involved with ULC working groups for fire alarm testing and verification (ULC-S536/537) and fire alarm control units (ULC-S527)

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