French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to see fire-ravaged Notre Dame rebuilt within five years

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to see fire-ravaged Notre Dame rebuilt within five years.</s>French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the medieval cathedral of Notre-Dame after a major fire partially destroyed the Paris landmark.

Firefighters managed to save the 850-year-old Gothic building’s main stone structure, including its two towers, but the spire and roof collapsed.

The fire was declared under control almost nine hours after it started.

The cause is not yet clear but officials say it could be linked to extensive renovation works under way.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said it was currently being investigated as an accident. A firefighter was lightly injured while tackling the blaze, Commander Jean-Claude Gallet told BFM TV.

The fire began at around 18:30 (16:30 GMT) and quickly reached the roof of the cathedral, destroying its stained-glass windows and the wooden interior before toppling the spire.

Fears grew that the cathedral’s famous towers would also be destroyed by the blaze.

But while a number of fires did begin in the towers, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said they were successfully stopped before they could spread.

By the early hours of Tuesday, the fire was declared under control, although it is expected to take several days to be completely extinguished.

What is the damage?

Search teams had already begun assessing the extent of the damage when dawn broke over the French capital. The cathedral’s blackened stone and charred scaffolding were revealed to onlookers for the first time.

According to fire brigade spokesman Lt-Col Gabriel Plus “the whole of the roof has been devastated… a part of the vault has collapsed, the spire is no more”.

More on the Notre Dame fire:

A French view: The horror of watching our country’s embodiment burn

The images which captured a tragedy as it unfolded

Gargoyles and relics: The treasures which make Notre Dame so special

However, it could have been much worse. Mr Nuñez said that, had fire crews not entered the building, “without doubt it would have collapsed”, French newspaper Le Monde reported.

Franck Riester, France’s culture minister, warned that while the principal structure had been saved, the building was still unstable.

What happens next?

Already, individuals and groups are mobilising to help rebuild Notre-Dame. Hundreds of millions of euros have already been pledged.

Billionaire François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of the Kering group that owns the Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent fashion brands, pledged €100m (£86m; $113m) towards rebuilding Notre-Dame, AFP news agency reports.

Another €200m was pledged by Bernard Arnault’s family and their company LVMH – a business empire which includes Louis Vuitton and Sephora – on Tuesday morning, according to Reuters news agency.

The French charity Fondation du Patrimoine is launching an international appeal for funds for the cathedral, a Unesco World Heritage site.

Visiting the scene on Monday night, Mr Macron – who said the “worst had been avoided” with the preservation of the cathedral’s main structure – pledged to launch an international fundraising scheme for the reconstruction.

“We’ll rebuild this cathedral all together and it’s undoubtedly part of the French destiny and the project we’ll have for the coming years,” said Mr Macron.

“That’s what the French expect [and] because it’s what our history deserves,” he added, visibly emotional, calling it a “terrible tragedy”.

Sections of the building were under scaffolding as part of the renovations and 16 copper statues had been removed last week. Work began after cracks appeared in the stone, sparking fears the structure could become unstable.

Mr Macron said the cathedral was “for all French people”, including those who had never been there, and praised the “extreme courage” of the 500 firefighters involved in the operation.

What about the cathedral’s treasures?

Emergency teams managed to rescue valuable artwork and religious items, including what is said to be the crown of thorns worn by Jesus before his crucifixion, which were stored inside the cathedral built in the 12th and 13th centuries.

A tunic, which King Louis IX is said to have worn when he brought the crown of thorns to Paris, was also saved.

“We had a chain of solidarity, especially in saving the works of art… [They] were able to be saved and put in a safe place,” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. “This is a tragedy for the whole world… Notre-Dame is the entire history of Paris.”

Historian Camille Pascal told French broadcaster BFMTV that “invaluable heritage” had been destroyed. “Happy and unfortunate events for centuries have been marked by the bells of Notre-Dame. We can be only horrified by what we see.”

How has the world reacted?

Thousands of people gathered in the streets around the cathedral, observing the flames in silence. Some could be seen openly weeping, while others sang hymns or said prayers.

Several churches around Paris rang their bells in response to the blaze, which happened as Catholics celebrate Holy Week.

“Notre-Dame is burning, France is crying and the whole world, too. It is extremely emotional,” Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit said.

The Vatican expressed “shock and sadness” while UK Prime Minister Theresa May described the fire as “terrible”.

Unesco said it stood “at France’s side to save and restore this priceless heritage” visited by almost 13 million visitors each year, more than the Eiffel Tower.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel called the Notre-Dame a “symbol of French and European culture”.

US President Donald Trump said it was “horrible to watch” the fire and suggested that “flying water tankers” could be used to extinguish the blaze.

In an apparent response, the French Civil Security service said that was not an option as it might result in the collapse of the entire building.

Because of the fire, Mr Macron cancelled a speech on TV in which he was due to address the street protests that have rocked France for months.</s>French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Tuesday to rebuild the badly burned Notre Dame Cathedral in five years, as dramatic footage was released showing the heroism of firefighters who battled the blaze for hours.

“We will rebuild Notre Dame even more beautifully and I want it to be completed in five years," Macron said in a televised address to the nation. "We can do it."

“It is up to us to change this disaster into an opportunity to come together, having deeply reflected on what we have been and what we have to be and become better than we are. It is up to us to find the thread of our national project," he said.

Macron added that Monday's inferno "reminds us that our story never ends. And that we will always have challenges to overcome. What we believe to be indestructible can also be touched."

Macron's comments came one day after a fire raged through the cathedral for more than 12 hours, ultimately destroying its spire and roof but sparing its twin medieval bell towers. As the blaze roared, there was a frantic effort to rescue the monument's "most precious treasures," including the Crown of Thorns said to have been worn by Jesus.

NOTRE DAME'S GOLDEN ALTAR CROSS SEEN GLOWING AS IMAGES EMERGE FROM INSIDE SHOWING FIRE-RAVAGED CATHEDRAL

Also surviving was the Roman Catholic cathedral’s famous 18th century organ that boasts more than 8,000 pipes. Statues removed from the roof for restoration just days before were spared. The cathedral’s high altar was damaged by falling debris when the spire collapsed, an official said.

Although authorities consider the fire an accident, possibly as a result of restoration work at the global architectural treasure that survived almost 900 years of French history, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said the inquiry into what caused the fire would be “long and complex.”

Fifty investigators were working on it and are expected to interview workers from five companies hired for the renovations to the cathedral’s roof, where the flames first broke out.

Among those will likely be Julien Le Bras.

The young construction boss bragged about his company's ability to protect historic sites when he landed the lucrative $5.6 million deal to repair the famed cathedral's spire.

Bras, 32, owns the company Le Bras Freres. He has boasted in the past that "our first thought is to protect the values of historical buildings" and that "it's in our DNA."

The Daily Mail reported Tuesday that workers from his company are being questioned by investigators.

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As the probe into what happened continues, the Paris Fire Brigade shared dramatic footage of the roof of the cathedral engulfed in flames and billowing clouds of smoke. The incredible video also shows firemen and women racing into the burning building to save it from destruction.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the fire that swept through Paris' Notre Dame cathedral (all times local):

Queen Elizabeth II has sent a message of sympathy to French President Emmanuel Macron after a fire ravaged Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

The British monarch says she was "deeply saddened" to see the cathedral ablaze, and expressed "sincere admiration to the emergency services who have risked their lives to try to save this important national monument."

British politicians and religious leaders have also sent messages of goodwill and offers of help in rebuilding the medieval building.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England, tweeted an image of the fire-damaged cathedral with a passage from the Bible: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.'"

The Vatican's culture minister has offered words of hope to France following the devastating fire at Notre Dame, saying the cathedral is a "living creature" that has been reborn before and will continue to be the "beating heart" of France.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi opened a Vatican press conference with a personal reflection on the cathedral. He noted it was a place of encounter for both believers and nonbelievers drawn to its beauty and in some cases, such as the 19th century French poet Paul Claudel, were converted to the Catholic faith as a result.

Ravasi, whose office oversees the patrimony of the Catholic Church worldwide, said he was moved by the scenes of faithful and tourists alike weeping as Notre Dame went up in flames.

He suggested that the Vatican, particularly its art experts at the Vatican Museums, could play a possible role in the rebuilding given their expertise.

The Paris prosecutor says there's no evidence of arson in the Notre Dame fire and that they're working on the assumption that the blaze was an accident.

Remy Heitz says the investigation will be "long and complex."

Speaking Tuesday, after the blaze was put out, he said 50 investigators are working on the probe. He says they will be interviewing workers from five companies that had been hired to work on renovations to the cathedral's roof, which was being repaired before the fire and which is where the flames first broke out.

This version corrects that 50 investigators are working on the probe, not five.

An aide says that Poland's president, Andrzej Duda, has offered assistance and Polish specialists for the task of rebuilding Paris' Notre Dame cathedral that was damaged by fire.

Krzysztof Szczerski said Tuesday that Duda has written to French President Emmanuel Macron to express Poland's grief and solidarity at thet loss of heritage and cultural identity.

He said that in a gesture of "European solidarity" Duda offered Poland's experience and world-class experts in the reconstruction of historic buildings. Warsaw and many other places were rebuilt from World War II rubble.

He said that a Polish chapel at the cathedral was affected by the fire but was not damaged.

A precious copy of Poland's most revered icon as well as relicts of Polish-born pope St. John Paul II have been rescued.

Germany's foreign minister says his country is prepared to help with the rebuilding of Notre Dame cathedral after a devastating fire.

Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter that French President Emmanuel Macron has called for help from outside France and "Germany stands ready to do that in close friendship."

Maas added that "we are united in sorrow. Notre Dame is part of the cultural heritage of mankind and a symbol for Europe."

Egypt's top Muslim cleric has expressed sadness over the fire that destroyed part of the famous Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, describing it as a "historic architectural masterpiece."

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim world's seat of learning, wrote on Facebook: "Our hearts are with our brothers in France."

Paris' deputy mayor says Notre Dame's organ, among the world's most famous and biggest, remains intact after a devastating fire at Paris' main cathedral.

Emmanuel Gregoire told BFMTV Tuesday that a plan to protect Notre Dame's treasures was rapidly and successfully activated.

The impressive organ dates to the 1730s and was constructed by Francois Thierry. It boasts an estimated 8,000 pipes.

Gregoire also described "enormous relief" at the salvaging of pieces such as the purported Crown of Christ.

Egypt's Coptic Church has expressed "profound sadness" over the massive blaze that burned parts of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

The head of Egypt's Copts, Pope Tawadroz II, said in a statement that the fire was a "huge loss for entire humanity" and affected "one of the most important monuments in the world."

The Foreign Ministry in Cairo also expressed "great regret and pain" over the fire, citing Notre Dame's "historical and culture value" for France and world heritage.

Pope Francis is praying for French Catholics and the Parisian population "under the shock of the terrible fire" that ravaged the Notre Dame cathedral.

Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said on Twitter on Tuesday that the pope "is close to France" and that he is offering prayers "for all those who are trying to cope with this dramatic situation."

The Vatican on Monday expressed "shock and sadness" at the fire that caused extensive damage to a cathedral that is "a symbol of Christianity in France and in the world."

Funding for the reconstruction of Notre Dame is piling up at a spectacular rate, with two of France's richest families together quickly pledging 300 million euros.

Businessman Francois-Henri Pinault and his billionaire father Francois Pinault said they were immediately giving 100 million euros from their company, Artemis, to help finance repairs to the cathedral devastated by fire Monday night.

A statement from Francois-Henri Pinault said: "This tragedy impacts all French people" and "everyone wants to restore life as quickly as possible to this jewel of our heritage."

That donation was then trumped by French tycoon Bernard Arnault and his luxury goods group LVMH, which pledged 200 million euros.

LVMH called the cathedral a "symbol of France, its heritage and its unity."

European Union chief Donald Tusk is calling on the bloc's member countries to help France rebuild the fire-ravaged Notre Dame cathedral saying the site in Paris is a symbol of what binds Europe together.

Tusk, who chairs summits of EU national leaders, told lawmakers Tuesday that the blaze reminds Europeans of "how much we can lose."

Tusk said: "At stake here is something more than just material help. The burning of the Notre Dame cathedral has again made us aware that we are bound by something more important and more profound than treaties."

Parliament President Antonio Tajani invited EU lawmakers, meeting in Strasbourg, France, to contribute their day's salary to help finance reconstruction.

A spokesman for Paris firefighters says that "the entire fire is out" at Notre Dame cathedral.

Gabriel Plus said Tuesday morning that emergency services are currently "surveying the movement of the structures and extinguishing smoldering residues."

Plus said that now the fire is out "this phase is for the experts" to plan how to consolidate the edifice.

French tycoon Bernard Arnault and his luxury goods group LVMH have pledged 200 million euros ($226 million) for the reconstruction of Notre Dame, following a reported 100 million-euro donation from another French billionaire, Francois Pinault.

A statement Tuesday from LVMH said the luxury goods group and the Arnault family would make the donation to a rebuilding fund for the cathedral, which was consumed by flames Monday evening.

LVMH called the cathedral a "symbol of France, its heritage and its unity."

The Pinault family's earlier 100 million-euro donation was widely reported by French media.

A French cultural heritage expert says France no longer has trees big enough to replace ancient wooden beams that burned in the Notre Dame fire.

Bertrand de Feydeau, vice president of preservation group Fondation du Patrimoine, told France Info radio that the wooden roof that went up in flames was built with beams more than 800 years ago from primal forests.

Speaking Tuesday, he said the cathedral's roof cannot be rebuilt exactly as it was before the fire because "we don't, at the moment, have trees on our territory of the size that were cut in the 13th century."

He said the restoration work will have to use new technologies to rebuild the roof.

Experts are assessing the blackened shell of Paris' iconic Notre Dame cathedral to establish next steps to save what remains after a devastating fire destroyed much of the almost 900-year-old building.

With the fire that broke out Monday evening and quickly consumed the cathedral now under control, attention is turning to ensuring the structural integrity of the remaining building.

Junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced that architects and other experts would meet at the cathedral early Tuesday "to determine if the structure is stable and if the firefighters can go inside to continue their work."

Officials consider the fire an accident, possibly as a result of restoration work taking place at the global architectural treasure, but that news has done nothing to ease the national mourning.</s>French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to see fire-ravaged Notre Dame rebuilt within five years

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to see fire-ravaged Notre Dame rebuilt within five years.</s>French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to see fire-ravaged Notre Dame rebuilt within five years

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to see fire-ravaged Notre Dame rebuilt within five years.</s>French citizens joined global leaders to rally behind Emmanuel Macron in the aftermath of a fire that ravaged the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, giving the French President an opportunity to quell the political volatility that’s embroiled his government.Macron vowed on Monday night to rebuild the 850-year-old Gothic monument, an issue that’s united the French population across the political spectrum, with national parties suspending their European election campaigns and leaders from around the globe lending their support.The fire prompted the cancellation of a planned speech by the 41-year-old leader meant to allay the concerns of citizens angered over economic disparities and by a lack of trust in the political system. The address was an effort to move past months of protests by the Yellow Vests movement and bolster Macron’s popularity, which had taken a battering from a public perception that he’s out of touch and that his policies favor the rich.“This is an opportunity for Macron to reach out to the opposition to create unity in a fractured, divided nation,” said Bruno Cautres, a politics professor at Sciences Po institute, who cycles past the landmark every morning. “He can’t be seen as using this moment of widespread grief, but at the same time, people will expect all politicians to start working together, first for Notre Dame and hopefully, beyond Notre Dame.”The fire raged for about 12 hours, taking with it about two-thirds of the roof and its spire, and at one point late Monday night even the stone structure of the monument was at risk. The cause of the fire is still unknown but Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said nothing indicates it was started deliberately. Paris prosecutors opened a non-criminal investigation, a common step in such a major incident.The entire structure was a half-hour away from collapsing before firemen prevented the blaze from engulfing the bell towers, according to Deputy Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.Culture Minister Franck Riester said major treasures such as the “Crown of Thorns” and Louis IX’s tunic were removed to City Hall, while other relics were taken to the Louvre. The altars weren’t burned but will be removed to be treated for smoke damage, while the rose windows appeared to have escaped major damage, he said.The initial budget to restore the cathedral before the fire was about 150 million euros ($170 million), and may need to be increased to about 450 million euros now, according to Michel Picaud, president of the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris.Money has already started to arrive for a rebuilding that will take years if not decades. The Paris region has unblocked 10 million euros ($11.5 million) in emergency funding. The Pinault family of Gucci owner Kering SA announced it was giving 100 million euros and the Arnault family that controls LVMH said it pledged 200 million euros.In his canceled speech, Macron had been expected to announce middle class income tax cuts, indexation of small pensions and the abolition of the elite ENA school for civil servants, in an effort to assuage grassroots discontent, French media reported.The fire comes a a little over a month before France is due to elect its members of the European Parliament . According to Ifop’s daily rolling poll, Macron’s La Republique en Marche! party and Marine Le Pen’s euro-skeptic National Rally are tied at 21.5 percent, with the Republicans in third place at 13 percent. In the latest Ipsos poll, Macron’s approval rating fell 1 point to 27 percent.In the week leading up to Monday, political leaders from opposition parties were on television saying Macron’s measures wouldn’t be up to the task, even without knowing what he was due to announce. Hours later they were all expressing their sadness at France’s incalculable artistic loss.“For two years, all we’ve had are tortured words that go around in circles, and when we get to the finish line there’s nothing there,” Laurent Wauquiez, head of The Republicans, the largest opposition party in Parliament, said Sunday on BFM TV. Monday night he wrote on Twitter that “it’s a whole part of our history, of all of us, that burns tonight.” He canceled an EU election rally he was due to attend in the southern city of Nimes Tuesday night.Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party and one of Macron’s most scathing critics, said “This building is like a member of our family. For at least 24 hours I can’t feel and act like a politician.”Macron will have to walk a fine line, and tragic incidents throughout Europe have proven to be pitfalls for leaders who miscalculated the political severity of the events. British Prime Minister Theresa May had to admit that her initial handling of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, which killed at least 80 people in a London apartment block, was “not good enough” because she hadn’t met victims on her first visit.Francois Hollande, who was president in 2015 when a terrorist rampage left 12 dead in France, saw his flagging popularity revive after the incident. Hollande oversaw a manhunt and brought international statesmen and millions of voters together in a show of political force, which earned him a temporary boost in his approval ratings.Leaders from around the world expressed their solidarity with Paris, including Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Macron will speak later Tuesday with Pope Francis , after having talked earlier with U.S. President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, whose populist government has been at odds with Macron, reached across the political divide.“A thought and a hug for the people of Paris,” Salvini wrote on Twitter. “From Italy, all of our friendship and all the help we can give.”</s>François-Henri Pinault — chairman and CEO of Kering, the French-based luxury group behind Gucci, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and other world-renowned brands — has pledged over $110 million towards the rebuilding of the Notre Dame cathedral.

Pinault, who is married to actress Salma Hayek, said in a statement that he plans to pay through his family’s investment firm, Artemis, for any work that needs to be done following Monday’s catastrophic fire, according to AFP.

The billionaire reportedly pledged 100 million euros, or $113 million. He hopes that the money will help church officials “completely rebuild Notre Dame.” French president Emmanuel Macron had vowed to do so earlier in the day.

“We will rebuild Notre Dame because it is what the French expect,” Macron said, calling it “the epicenter” of their lives.

“It is what our history deserves,” he added. “It is, in the deepest sense, our destiny.”</s>PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is promising not to let the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral diminish his commitment to respond to the economic inequality concerns raised by the yellow vest protest movement.

Macron said during a short national address on Tuesday he plans to outline his proposals after immediate needs from the Notre Dame fire are addressed.

An important TV speech by the French leader was postponed when the scope of the threat at Notre Dame fire became clear. It was expected to cover the government's formal policy answer to the protests.

Macron said, "I will come back to you, as I committed, in the coming days" and asked the people of France to focus on Notre Dame for now,

He said: "What we've seen together in Paris overnight, it's our ability to unite.</s>French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed an important address to the nation that was to lay out his response to the yellow vest crisis because of the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral.

French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed an important address to the nation that was to lay out his response to the yellow vest crisis because of the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral.

He was planning to announce a series of measures after three months of a national debate that encouraged ordinary people to propose changes to France’s economy and democracy.

Instead he headed to the scene of the fire in Paris.

When he does speak, Mr Macron is expected to respond to protesters’ concerns over their loss of purchasing power with possible tax cuts and measures to help retirees and single parents.

Other proposed changes could affect France’s democratic rules. Some observers say Mr Macron may open up the possibility that citizens could propose referendums.

The French leader has repeatedly said he will not reintroduce a wealth tax on the country’s richest people — one of the protesters’ major demands.

The yellow vest movement, prompted by a fuel tax hike in November, has expanded into a broader revolt against Mr Macron’s policies, which protesters see as favouring the rich and big businesses.

Their protests, which often turned violent, especially in the capital, provoked a major domestic crisis that sent Mr Macron’s popularity to record low levels.

The number of demonstrators has been falling in recent weeks.

Most yellow vest leaders have urged supporters not to take part in Mr Macron’s national debate, saying they did not believe the government’s offer to listen to the people.

Ingrid Levavasseur of the yellow vests published an open letter on Monday demanding measures to boost purchasing power and maintain public services.

Mr Macron has already made concessions, but they failed to stop the anger of the yellow vest movement.

In December, he abandoned the fuel tax hike, scrapped a tax increase for retirees and introduced a 100-euro (£86) monthly bonus to increase the minimum wage, a package estimated at 10 billion euros (£8.6 billion).
French President Emmanuel Macron pledges to rebuild the Cathedral after the fire.