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The Historic Notre Dame Cathedral Is on Fire

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Flames engulf Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019. (Image credit: FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images)

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is on fire. 

Smoke and flames engulfed the medieval cathedral on Monday. Firefighters are on the scene and Paris police tweeted that people should avoid the area in order to allow emergency vehicles in.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but the cathedral has been undergoing renovations and police say they may be linked to the fire, according to the BBC. Photos and videos of the fire taken by onlookers and circulating on social media offer glimpses of the smoke and flames. Videos show that the building's spire has fallen and the roof has collapsed. 

The world remains stunned, watching the iconic cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century, burn, with its beautiful gothic architecture hidden beneath the flames.

Originally published on Live Science.

Yasemin Saplakoglu
Yasemin Saplakoglu
Staff Writer

Yasemin is a staff writer at Live Science, covering health, neuroscience and biology. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Science and the San Jose Mercury News. She has a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Connecticut and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.