On Monday, April 15th, tragedy struck in Paris. The beloved Notre Dame Cathedral suffered severe damages after a major fire occurred.  The Cathedral was under construction when the fire started. The cause of the fire has not been determined at this time, although an investigation is underway.

Fire alarms went off at 6:20 p.m. and the guards evacuated the building, however, they saw no signs of a fire. The fire alarm rang again at 6:43 and this time the guards noticed the fires. Firefighters arrived at the scene and worked tirelessly to smother the flames. By Tuesday morning the fire had been stopped, but the Notre Dame Cathedral suffered devastating damages.

The Notre Dame Cathedral’s iconic spire and roof were destroyed by the flames. Thankfully the pair of bell towers and the cathedral’s elaborate stonework facade survived. President Emmanuel Macron pledged he to rebuild the Paris landmark. An international fundraising campaign has been launched to raise funds to restore the Notre Dame Cathedral.

According to the cathedral’s rector, Msgr. Patrick Chauvet, the fire appeared to have begun in the interior network of wooden beams. Officials do not know the cause of the fire, but there are many conspiracy theories circulating on the matter. Some believe the fire was deliberately started and base their thoughts on suspicious tweets that have since been deleted. Officials believe that the fire was likely accidental and they have found no evidence to suggest it was intentionally set ablaze.

Many people have traveled to see the Notre Dame Cathedral, with nearly 30,000 visitors a day. The landmark was very loved and the parts lost and damaged by the fire will be greatly missed.

Lakewood High School student, Tayt Armitage, was shocked to hear the news. He said, “The Norte Dame Cathedral is something I always wanted to see in person. The fire is devastating to hear about, but I am glad they plan to rebuild it.”