Unprecedented Fire Safety System to be Installed at Paris Notre-Dame Cathedral

The Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was severely damaged in a massive fire in 2019, will have an unprecedented fire safety system installed, according to Philippe Villeneuve, the head of the cathedral's reconstruction.

“All precautions are being taken to ensure complete protection from fire. A smoke detection system will be installed at the tower and attic levels to prevent any fire, which is the first of its kind to be installed in a cathedral in France,” Villeneuve stated during a meeting of the Cultural Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of France.

He also mentioned that after reopening, the cathedral is expected to welcome 14 million visitors annually, which is two million more than before the fire.

Previous reports indicated that the fire protection system at Notre-Dame will cost €2 million. Among other features, it will include a reservoir for 625 cubic meters of water. The main cathedral will have over one kilometer of pipes designed to supply approximately 600,000 liters of water per hour.

The largest fire in the history of Notre-Dame Cathedral occurred on April 15, 2019. The cathedral's spire collapsed, and the load-bearing structures were destroyed. The blaze damaged the unique wooden frame of the roof, which was made from eight-hundred-year-old oak trees, each carved from a single tree trunk. Firefighters reported that the structure of the cathedral and its key relics remained unharmed.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the cathedral is set to reopen on December 8, 2024.