A massive fire broke out at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2019, gutting the roof and causing the spire to collapse. Over 500 firefighters battled the blaze for over 12 hours before bringing it under control. Though the main structure and iconic bell towers were saved, the cathedral suffered significant damage to its roof and interior. Notre Dame is one of Paris's most popular landmarks, attracting millions of visitors annually.

1. The roof of the cathedral burns.Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

2. Serious fire in Notre Dame de Paris cathedral, jewel of the European Gothic
A massive fire consumed Notre-Dame Cathedral, gutting the roof of the Paris landmark and stunning
France and the world, but firefighters managed to save the shell of the stone structure and its two
main bell towers from collapse.

3. A catastrophic fire engulfed the iconic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on
Monday, just days before Easter.
The fire spread rapidly and took over the cathedral as onlookers nearby
scrambled in disbelief to get a view.
Notre Dame was completed in the 13th century and is considered a feat
of architecture as much as a religious symbol.

4. Notre Dame cathedral is burning in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. (Photo by Lori Hinant/AP Photo)

5. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

6. Members of the fire department inspect the cathedral.Christophe Ena/AP

7. People watch as firefighters douse flames of the burning Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, April 15. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

8. Smoke billows from the Notre-Dame Cathedral after a fire broke out, in Paris, April 15. REUTERS/Julie Carriat

9. Police urged everyone to avoid the area and emergency services directed people away from the scene. Nicolas Liponne/NurPhoto/Getty Images

10. Firefighters tackle the blaze as dusk draws in. Image copyrightAFP

11. Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, April 15. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

12. Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, April 15. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

13. A man holds his head in shock as watches the fire take hold.Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP/Getty Images

14. THIBAULT CAMUS AP

15. Huge clouds of smoke rise into the evening sky as fire engulfs the cathedral.Benoit Tessier/Reuters

16. The smoke that comes out of the fire of the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, declared towards
seven in the afternoon of this Monday, has been visible for miles. MARIA DÍAZ VALDERRAMA EFE

17. Firefighters worried the cathedral's two bell towers would be destroyed. JB Autissier/Panoramic/Reuters

18. Jacques Witt/SIPA/REX/Shutterstock

19. MICHEL EULER AP

20. Located on the Île de la Cité, a small island in the Seine, in central Paris, the cathedral is one of the city's most
popular attractions, drawing an estimated 13 million visitors a year.Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images

21. (Photo by Hubert Hitier/AFP Photo)

22. An image of the steeple taken last year, contrasted with Monday's blaze. AFP

23. AFP

24. People gather on the banks of the Seine to watch the fire's progress.Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images

25. The steeple of the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral collapses
as the cathedral is engulfed in flames in central Paris on April
15, 2019. (Photo by Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP Photo)

26. Benoit Tessier/Reuters

27. Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

28. Sparks fill the air as Paris Fire brigade members spray water to extinguish flames as the Notre-Dame Cathedral burns in Paris, April 15. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

29. Sparks and flames are seen through a destroyed stained glass window as the Notre-Dame Cathedral burns in Paris, April 15. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

30. The interior of the cathedral roof is seen smoldering.Yoan Valat/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

31. Firefighters douse flames of the burning Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, April 15. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

32. Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, April 15. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

33. AFP/GETTY

34. A firefighters gets closer to the flames.Pierre Suu/Getty Images

35. A fire fighter uses a hose to tackle the flames as the cathedral's roof burns.Francois Mori/AP

36. (Photo by Thibault Camus/AP Photo)

37. Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, April 15. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

38. Smoke rises around the altar in front of the cross inside the Notre-Dame Cathedral as a
fire continues to burn in Paris, France, April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/Pool

39. (Photo by Thibault Camus/AP Photo)

40. Flames roar across the roof of the cathedral. Philippe Wang/Getty Images

41. Photograph taken with a drone of the French Police and uploaded to Twitter by the journalist Alexandre Fremont.

42. A woman reacts near Notre Dame the morning after the devastating fire.Kamil Zihnioglu/AP

43. The statue of Viollet le Duc, the architect and restorer of the Notre-Dame cathedral in the 19th century. PATRICK KOVARIK AFP

44. END16-ABRIL-2019