The spire of a famous Gothic cathedral in the French city of Rouen caught fire, prompting an evacuation, local authorities say.
Images posted on X by city hall show black smoke rising from a canopy and scaffolding at the top of the building, which is about 150 m (495 ft) tall.
The fire has since been contained, authorities said, and three workers suffered mild smoke inhalation.
Builders renovating the cathedral spotted flames around the tower shortly after noon, raising the alarm, according to local authorities.
Around 70 firefighters and 40 fire engines were part of the efforts to fight the fire at Our Lady of the Assumption cathedral, fire chief Stephane Gouezec told local media.
Plastic parts of the construction site caught fire, Gouezec said. The metal tower itself did not appear to be damaged.
Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol said “all public resources” had been mobilized in response.
“The fire started at the tip of the tower, which is not made of wood, but of metal,” the mayor of the Seine-Maritime department told the AFP news agency.
The cathedral was evacuated and a security perimeter set up while emergency services tackled the fire, the city council said.
The archbishop of Rouen told Reuters he was relieved that four people working on the spire managed to escape the flames, adding that one of the workers told him: “I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to the good God. but today I say thank you.”
Rouen Cathedral, featured in several 19th-century artworks by impressionist artist Claude Monet, is undergoing extensive restoration.
It was built over several centuries, with parts of the building dating back more than 900 years to the 12th century, according to its official website. Between 1876 and 1880, it was the tallest building in the world.
In 2019, a fire in the wooden roof structure caused enormous damage to the world-famous Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. The historic building in the French capital is expected to officially reopen in December after years of repairs.
