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

French authorities say a fire broke out at the medieval cathedral, pictured here in 2016, in the Normandy city of Rouen (Michel Euler, File/AP)

A fire has broken out in the spire of the medieval cathedral in the French city of Rouen, authorities said.

Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol posted on X, formerly Twitter: “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 mobilised.”

Incendie au sommet de la flèche de la cathédrale de #Rouen⚠️

La cathédrale a été évacuée.
🚒 Les secours sont sur place, un périmètre de sécurité a été établi.

➡️ Merci d'éviter le secteur et de ne pas encombrer les lignes de secours. pic.twitter.com/ZNjBbZ2S86

— Préfet de Normandie et de la Seine-Maritime (@Prefet76) July 11, 2024

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

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.

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.