French forces say they'll use everything but Trump's suggestion to fight the Notre Dame fire
France's crisis management force knows how to do its job, thank you very much.
As the Notre Dame Cathedral erupted in flames on Monday, all hands were very clearly on deck brainstorming how to put it out. Then President Trump chimed in with some unsolicited advice: "Perhaps flying water tankers," he tweeted.
It took a few hours, but France's Sécurité Civile, which handles civil defense and crisis management, soon made it clear it had read and rejected Trump's tip. "All means are being used" to fight the flames, the group wrote in a rare English-language tweet, "except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Sécurité Civile had also tweeted throughout the day, in French, that "the weight of the water and the intensity of the drop at low altitude could indeed weaken the structure of Notre Dame and cause collateral damage to the surrounding buildings." Interior Department officials have also said they "may not" be able to save any of the cathedral, and a spokesperson said "nothing will remain from the frame" of the building.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
A lemon-shaped exoplanet is squeezing what we know about planet formationUnder the radar It may be made from a former star
-
Political cartoons for January 4Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include a resolution to learn a new language, and new names in Hades and on battleships
-
The ultimate films of 2025 by genreThe Week Recommends From comedies to thrillers, documentaries to animations, 2025 featured some unforgettable film moments
-
‘Let 2026 be a year of reckoning’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Jack Smith: Trump ‘caused’ Jan. 6 riotSpeed Read
-
Wave of cancellations prompts Kennedy Center turmoilIN THE SPOTLIGHT Accusations and allegations fly as artists begin backing off their regularly scheduled appearances
-
Trump considers giving Ukraine a security guaranteeTalking Points Zelenskyy says it is a requirement for peace. Will Putin go along?
-
Why is Trump’s alleged strike on Venezuela shrouded in so much secrecy?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Trump’s comments have raised more questions than answers about what his administration is doing in the Southern Hemisphere
-
Vance’s ‘next move will reveal whether the conservative movement can move past Trump’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
What have Trump’s Mar-a-Lago summits achieved?Today’s big question Zelenskyy and Netanyahu meet the president in his Palm Beach ‘Winter White House’
-
Biggest political break-ups and make-ups of 2025The Explainer From Trump and Musk to the UK and the EU, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a round-up of the year’s relationship drama
