A fire of rare violence broke out this morning shortly before 4 a.m. in the belfry of the town hall in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, plunging the neighborhood into consternation. The flames, which quickly increased in intensity, gave rise to spectacular scenes, fueling the concern of local residents.
A massive security system deployed
More than 150 firefighters, equipped with around sixty vehicles, were mobilized at the first alert to try to bring the disaster under control. As reported by BFMTV, the images broadcast live show an impressive deployment of law enforcement and firefighters, who have been battling the flames for more than three hours.
According to testimonies from firefighters collected on site, the structure of the belfry was seriously damaged. “The beams are very blackened, it doesn’t matter much anymore,” a firefighter told BFM Paris. Experts now fear an imminent collapse of the tower.
The neighborhood sealed off, no victims
As a security measure, the area was cordoned off and residents were asked to leave the area. The Paris police chief, Laurent Nuñez, went to the site mid-morning to assess the damage and coordinate rescue operations.
-Fortunately, no casualties have been reported at this time. The exact causes of the fire remain, at this stage, unknown and will be the subject of a thorough investigation.
A threatened architectural heritage
The belfry of the town hall of the 12th arrondissement, a 19th century building, constitutes a striking element of Parisian architectural heritage. The flames have already seriously damaged the campanile, around thirty meters high. Local authorities and heritage specialists are concerned about the consequences of this fire on this emblematic building.
The fire was “under control” shortly before 7 a.m., according to a spokesperson for the Paris fire brigade. Monitoring and cooling operations are continuing to prevent the fire from resuming.
