Massive fire engulfs beloved Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Believed to be an accident, possibly linked to renovations at the church

Flames rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow-brown smoke filled the air above the cathedral and ash fell on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Notre Dame web.jpg — Flames rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow-brown smoke filled the air above the cathedral and ash fell on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PARIS — A catastrophic fire engulfed the upper reaches of Paris' soaring Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations Monday, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world as tourists and Parisians looked on aghast from the streets below.

Associated Press

Associated Press