The Notre Dame Cathedral started burning Monday, April 15, 2019 while guests were inside. One visitor, Stefany Vargas told Variety Beat:
I got photos (of the Notre Dame) before I went inside. They started kicking us out and I thought it was just because it was closing. It was about 6:30pm and it closes at 6:46. I didn’t know it was burning. I went across the way at the bookstore and we all saw it smoking.”
The cathedral’s frame is not expected to survive the damage, but workers were trying to save as much of the art inside as possible. Monday’s guests were the last to see the cathedral intact. It is not the first time the cathedral has caught fire or had damage. Hopefully it can be reconstructed to its former glory.