Lead contamination lessons from the Notre Dame fire | PropertyCasualty360 (2024)

FAQs

What is Notre-Dame contaminated by as a result of the fire? ›

A large part of the Notre-Dame de Paris (NDdP) cathedral roof and spire was constructed of lead, and it was estimated that 150 kg of lead was spread during the fire by one study, with another estimating 1 tonne of lead to have fallen within 1 km of the cathedral.

The roof's various layers and spire, composed of approximately 450 tons of lead, quickly melted as the fire temperatures exceeded 1,400° F. As the smoke's distinct yellow tinge suggested, the lead vaporized and created a toxic fallout of lead dust that was deposited across Paris.

During restoration efforts at Notre-Dame Cathedral, which burned in a fire three years ago, archaeologists discovered two mysterious sarcophagi buried under the church's nave. After months of research, they now know more about who was entombed in them. One contained the remains of a high priest who died in 1710.

When the fire broke out, Notre Dame was undergoing extensive renovation work. After being interrogated, several workers confessed to smoking on the scaffolding. The DNA analysis of the cigarette butts found at the base of the scaffolding confirmed that this was the case.

Amazingly, the 8,000-pipe organ survived the fire, which consumed the cathedral's roof and toppled its spire. But the blaze coated the instrument in toxic lead dust that must now be painstakingly removed.

The fire contaminated the site and nearby areas of Paris with toxic dust and lead. Notre-Dame did not hold a Christmas Mass in 2019, for the first time since 1803. Investigators in 2020 believed the fire to have been "started by either a cigarette or a short circuit in the electrical system".

The second coffin – a lead sarcophagus that appears to have been moulded to the shape of the deceased's body – was buried deeper than the other finds, 1m below the cathedral floor, and is older in date than the coffin of Canon de la Porte.

A brass plaque on the first coffin identified the remains within as Antoine de la Porte, a rich and influential head of the cathedral who died in 1710.

Roofers work on Notre-Dame's spire needle

The wooden spire is now covered with a thin layer of lead to ensure its long-term protection, and has been fitted with numerous ornaments designed by Viollet-le-Duc, giving it its unique grace and originality.

Historians know of some 400 people buried at Notre Dame, including bishops and archbishops.

Where is the crown of thorns located now? ›

Prior to the Seventh Crusade, Louis IX of France bought from Baldwin II of Constantinople what was venerated as Jesus' Crown of Thorns. It is kept in Paris to this day, in the Louvre Museum.

Religious relics

Today, French Minister of Culture Franck Riester confirmed that some of Notre Dame's most precious relics had been saved, including the crown of thorns that Jesus is said to have worn, a wooden part of the cross on which he died, as well as the tunic of Saint Louis himself.

After a two-month investigation that included the testimony of 100 witnesses, the Paris public prosecutor's office announced in June that the leading theory was that the sparks that ignited the fire must have come from either an electrical short circuit or an improperly extinguished cigarette.

The fire started just below the cathedral's roof and spire, which were covered in 460 tons of lead -- a neurotoxic metal, dangerous especially to children, and the source of the yellow smoke that rose from the fire for hours.

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Notre-Dame fire / Number of deaths

The cathedral's main structure survived and several important Catholic relics were saved. The extent of the damage was not yet known and the building's situation was precarious, exposed to fire, smoke and water damage. The cathedral's main structure survived and several important Catholic relics were saved.

The 2019 fire in Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral destroyed the Gothic structure's wooden roof and toppled its iconic spire. But the disaster comes with a small silver lining: Due to the fire—and the ongoing restoration process—researchers are getting an unprecedented look at the cathedral's inner workings.

Five years after a devastating fire at the iconic Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, video shows the progress of renovation work. The 850-year-old Gothic building's spire and roof collapsed in April 2019 but the main structure, including the two bell towers, was saved.

The first immediate loss in the Notre Dame fire came when the cathedral's iconic spire collapsed after being overtaken by flames. The fire also destroyed the cathedral's roof. The extent of the damage to other artwork and relics housed inside the cathedral is still unknown.