On the night of Sunday January 26 to Monday January 27, 2025, a devastating fire struck the town hall of the 12th arrondissement of Paris, located on Avenue Daumesnil. The flames, which broke out shortly after 3 a.m., particularly damaged the roof and the bell tower of the building, 36 meters high. Although brought under control before 7 a.m., the fire still requires significant resources this Monday, while the risk of collapse persists.
A fire broke out last night in the city hall of 12th district. The alert was given at 3:20 a.m. Quickly, almost 150 firefighters and around sixty machines were mobilized. The fire, described as a “roof fire”, affected several parts of this historic building built in 1876, notably its bell tower. According to firefighters, the structure of the latter was weakened, raising fears of collapse. The prefect of police, Laurent Nuñez, present on site, confirmed to BFMTV that the arrow remained under surveillance, while a large security perimeter was established.
Around 7:30 a.m., no flames were visible, although incandescent elements continued to fall, as reported by an AFP journalist. Inside the building, teams must now evacuate the tons of water spilled to extinguish the fire, while the art conservation module of the fire brigade was activated. The objective: to protect the heritage pieces housed in the town hall.
The scene is reminiscent, for some residents, of the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris in 2019. “Seeing this spire threatened is a shock,” confides a local resident, evoking a feeling of déjà vu. A neighborhood councilor mentions that “three quarters of the town hall are now open to the sky”.
The town hall of the 12th arrondissement of Parisbuilt in 1876 by the architect Antoine-Julien Hénardis a jewel of Parisian heritage. With its eclectic style, it harmoniously combines the architectural influences of the Renaissanceeras Louis XIII et Louis XIVvisible in its mullioned windows, its bosses, its ringed columns and its dormer windows. Designed in the shape of a trapezoid, the building is enhanced by a main facade dominated by a pavilion with a clock and a 36-meter campanile, while a sculpture by Eugène-André Oudiné representing The City of Paris adorns the central arcade. The fire that struck it is a tragedy for heritage, because it damaged a building steeped in history, witness to unique architectural know-how and bearer of a strong cultural identity. Each stone of this building embodied an era, an aesthetic and a collective memory that loss, even partial, profoundly affects. The damage, although located high up, is impressive and will require months of work. In the meantime, municipal services will have to organize themselves differently, especially since everyone neighborhood remains blocked this Monday.
-Despite the violence of the fire, no casualties is not to be deplored. However, emotion is strong in the neighborhood, marked by this heritage tragedy. For the moment, the causes of this fire remain unknown. What is certain is that renovation work have been underway for almost a year on the roof of the town hall, although the spire was not affected by these interventions.
Firefighters deployed a security device consequent around the building, and the neighborhood has been completely sealed off. An investigation will soon be launched to determine the origin of the fire.
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