On the 15th of April, 2019, Parisians watched in horror as flames engulfed the cathedral’s roof. Guards swiftly evacuated the building, and hundreds of firefighters were sent to put out the fire. As experts scrambled to determine the cause of the fire, they also made some interesting discoveries. Read on as we uncover some truths about the Notre-Dame de Paris.

These days, locals and tourists alike flock to this island to take a stroll along the banks of the River Seine, enjoy the scenery, and admire the landmarks and monuments that can be found here.

Screenwriter and director Bruno Seillier was the creative genius behind the magnificent spectacle. The 25-minute show tells the story of a French nurse and an injured American soldier in World War I who fears dying before seeing the famed cathedral. To soothe him, the nurse tells him about the cathedral’s 850-year legacy.

You can appreciate this building’s beauty even more when you consider its surroundings. The sight of the imposing structure surrounded by trees and the picturesque River Seine brings to mind feelings of peace and tranquility.

The cathedral, a dedication to the Virgin Mary, can accommodate thousands of visitors at a time. Around 12 million people visit Notre-Dame every year, making it one of the most-visited landmarks in Paris. Who would have thought that this masterpiece would fall victim to a fire?

The blaze left behind a ruin of scorched wood and melted lead. The cathedral, considered to be one of France’s greatest national treasures, had become a shadow of its former self. Aside from the structure itself, the fire also damaged paintings, sculptures, stained glass windows, and other precious artifacts inside the cathedral.

One such painting is the La prédication de Saint Pierre à Jérusalem (The Preaching of Saint Peter in Jerusalem) by Chalres Poerson. Fortunately, its location prevented it from being heavily damaged by the fire, though some restoration work was still needed.

Of course, one question that needed to be asked was: what caused the fire? Some believe that it was caused by an explosion, while others suspect that the fire was caused by a discarded cigarette butt. Not long after the fire, investigators set to work to find out the truth.

The LRMH team knew that rebuilding the cathedral would be a gargantuan task. After inspecting the ruins, the team came together to decide how they would go about the reconstruction. One suggestion was to combine old elements of the cathedral that had survived with newly-constructed ones, a symbolic way of looking back while looking towards the future.

For those who had been tasked with looking after the cathedral, however, this was a disaster waiting to happen. Parts of the cathedral dated back to the 12th century and were in desperate need of repair. The cathedral’s caretakers could only watch in horror as the very thing they had feared unfolded before their eyes.

Tragically, the spire collapsed during the fire. It also caused further damage to other parts of the cathedral as it came tumbling down. The spire’s oak beams, which date back to the 13th century, had largely dried out by then, posing a fire risk.

French President Emmanuel Macron launched an international fundraising campaign on the night of the fire. Bernard Arnault, a French businessman, donated $200 million. A year after the fire, Germany offered the services of three skilled tradesmen to help restore some of the cathedral’s large clerestory windows.

It would take several more minutes before this error was discovered. By the time the guard managed to reach the cathedral’s attic, the fire had already spread. The fire brigade was notified of the blaze at 6:51 PM, and the first firefighters arrived at the scene ten minutes later.

The fire brigade also thought it would be best not to use aerial firefighting since water dropped from heights could cause structural damage. Deluge guns were used but at a much lower pressure than usual.

Unfortunately, not all statues on the cathedral’s roof were spared. A copper rooster that topped the spire, for instance, was found amidst the rubble a few days after the fire. The rooster contained numerous relics, including one of 70 thorns on the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, many of Notre-Dame’s Gargoyles were heavily damaged by the fire. In April of 2021, a nonprofit organization called the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris launched a fundraising scheme that would allow people to sponsor the restoration of specific artworks, artifacts, and gargoyles that were destroyed in the blaze.

The relics and other items that were stored in the sacristy were largely undamaged by the fire. Some of these include precious materials used in the liturgy: gold, silver, textiles, and rare adornments, as well as the altar table.

Parisians, meanwhile, gathered in nearby plazas and street corners. Some were taking photos and videos of the fire, while others called their loved ones. As news outlets around the world showed live footage of the fire, people began sharing photos of their past visits to Notre-Dame.

According to Maxime Cumunel of the Observatory for Religious Heritage, around five to ten percent of the artwork and treasures inside the cathedral were destroyed. However, a lot more could have been destroyed if not for the heroic efforts of the rescue workers and all those who volunteered to help.

Days after the fire, Michel Aupetit, the Archbishop of Paris, honored the firefighters during Sunday Mass at Saint-Eustache Church. He also handed them a book of scriptures that was saved from the fire. President Macron, meanwhile, invited firefighters to a special gathering at the Élysée presidential palace to share “words of thanks.”

Following the fire, President Macron announced that the iconic cathedral would be rebuilt in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Some architects, however, said that rebuilding the church could take as much as 20 to 40 years given the amount of work that needed to be done.

South Korea’s president Moon Jae In sent a telegram to President Macron to express his deep regret over the damage caused by the fire. On his Twitter account, he described the cathedral as “a very important treasure of humanity” and said that the tragedy was “a loss for people all over the world.”

From the very beginning, the LRMH team knew they would face many roadblocks. For instance, the team struggled to reach Notre-Dame’s damaged stonework. To do this, they needed to climb onto the top of the vault. However, doing so could potentially cause the entire structure to collapse.

When exposed to temperatures between 570°F and 750°F, the iron inside would decompose and leave behind a layer of red. As the temperature rises, the color would become darker and darker. At 1,500°F, the stones turn to powder. This was how researchers determined how sturdy individual stones were.

As the ceiling and limestone walls absorbed the water, their weight drastically increased. The water in the stones would also expand and contract depending on the temperature, which put the ruins at greater risk of collapse. Even a year after the fire, the water still hadn’t completely dried out.

When researchers took a closer look at the cathedral’s stained glass window, they discovered that the lead joints of some of the 19th-century windows had melted. However, the three rose windows survived the blaze. Another window, meanwhile, was weakened and had to be dismantled for safekeeping.

The mother and child are surrounded by doves and angels. These are then encircled by 12 prophets, who are in turn encircled by 12 flowers (fleur-de-lis), the symbol of both France and the Virgin Mary. The outer layer then shows 12 more prophets.

The firms working on the cathedral’s restoration were then questioned by authorities during the investigation. One company whose employees were the only ones working on the day of the fire said that no soldering or welding was going on before the fire.

By April of 2020, investigators were convinced that the fire could have been caused by either a cigarette or a short circuit in the electrical system. On the 15th of April, 2021 – the second anniversary of the fire – an inquiry into the blaze suggested that six electronic bells that had been installed in the spire may have short-circuited, starting the fire.

However, pictures and videos that were taken during the fire clearly showed a yellow haze forming over the cathedral. Other experts also refuted Azéma’s claims, saying that the fire did exceed the temperature required for lead to combine with oxygen.

The Montmartre district is about six kilometers away from Notre-Dame. While there is no proof of lead contamination in this neighborhood, residents suspect that the Notre-Dame fire is to blame for the higher lead poisoning rates in the area.

These findings alarmed many experts. Exposure to large quantities of lead can be toxic. It has also been linked to many physical, neurological, and behavioral issues, and is believed to cause infertility, seizures, and – in some cases – death.

A few months after the fire, representatives from Robin Hood, a French environmental organization, announced that experts found traces of lead 20 times the recommended limit at a residential building one mile away from Notre-Dame. At that point, it had become clear that this was a much bigger issue than anyone had thought.

Following this discovery, those working in the cathedral were now required to wear protective clothing at all times. They also had to submit to meticulous decontamination procedures. Researchers were also now only allowed to stay inside the cathedral for up to two and a half hours, and they must throw away any disposable garments after leaving the premises.

Furthermore, scientists are also looking into the possibility that there may be other factors affecting the lead levels throughout Paris, including toxic paint and gasoline. In an interview, scientist Sophie Ayrault said that she plans to compare lead samples taken at the cathedral and in other parts of the city to determine how much of it could be traced to the 2019 fire.

The LRMH team remains optimistic that Notre-Dame will be restored to its former glory. President Macron, meanwhile, believes that the cathedral will be rebuilt “more beautiful than before.” However, if it can be proven that lead from the cathedral had been contaminating parks and schools in Paris for hundreds of years, then its legacy may be forever tainted.

Just like the Notre-Dame de Paris, the Tuileries Garden features several sculptures. Some of the notable sculptures at the park include Theseus and the Minotaur by Jules Ramey (1821), Nymphe by Louis Auguste Lévêque (1866), and Le Baiser (The Kiss) by Auguste Rodin (1882).  Could this beautiful garden also be a victim of high lead level?

The Komsomolets, a state-of-the-art Project 685 Plavnik submarine, had been carrying out its duties underwater for more than a month when disaster struck. A huge fire had broken out inside the sub, causing electrical problems. 27 crew members who used an escape capsule survived, but the remaining 42 on board were killed.

The year that the sub was launched, nuclear submarines had been a weapon of choice by both the Soviets and the Americans in the Cold War. However, it was the Americans who first successfully developed submarines powered by nuclear reactors. A researcher at the US Naval Research Laboratory named Ross Gunn worked on the concept as far back as 1939.

In 1994, it was discovered that plutonium had leaked out through cracks on the sub’s hull. It would take about two years before this issue would be resolved. Another expedition to the wreckage in 2019 found that there was still little danger of contamination. Similar to the Notre-Dame lead concern, further tests will be needed to monitor the true risk level.

We must be more environmentally conscious of what we build and create. Now is the time to find decontamination solutions to prevent such incidents from continuing in the future. Hopefully, with time and tests the LRMH team can rid the cathedral of lead and restore Notre-Dame to its proper glory.