Fire breaks out in the spire of the medieval cathedral in the French city of Rouen

French authorities say a fire has broken out on the spire of the medieval cathedral in the Normandy city of Rouen

French authorities say a fire broke out Thursday on the spire of the medieval cathedral in the Normandy city of Rouen.

Witnesses speaking on BFM television described smoke emanating from the spire, and recalled a devastating fire in 2019 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris that toppled its spire and collapsed its roof.

Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol posted on the social media platform X that “the beginning of a fire is underway on the spire of the cathedral of Rouen. The origin is unknown at this stage. All public resources are mobilized.”

The regional administration posted online that the cathedral was evacuated and a security perimeter is in place.

The cathedral in Paris, a major landmark, is scheduled to reopen in December after an unprecedented reconstruction effort. The cause of that fire was deemed an accident.