Even the best possible outcome of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire will be utterly devastating.
Firefighters are currently responding to a raging fire at the iconic church, and former St. Louis firefighter Gregg Favre on Twitter observed that based on his experience, the best case scenario for the main part of the cathedral may look something like the damage caused by the 2016 fire at New York's Cathedral of St. Sava. Favre notes that a variety of factors, including wind conditions and responder access, could result in more or less damage, though.
Favre also explained that a variety of issues make fighting the fire difficult, including that it's "nearly impossible" to control ventilation in churches. Since the cathedral was undergoing renovations, he also expressed concern over construction materials that can explode and warned that the cathedral's walls could collapse if they're weakened by the fire.
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Another issue, according to a spokesperson for the Paris mayor's office, is that firefighters are "having a lot of trouble getting at the fire because of all the construction," The Daily Beast reports. The Associated Press reports firefighters are currently fighting it both inside and outside of the cathedral, and a Notre Dame spokesperson previously said the entire frame is burning.
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