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Massive Fire Destroys Spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

In images that immediately horrified Paris and the world, the historic Notre Dame Cathedral became engulfed in flames little before 7 p.m. France time.

BFM TV said the fire at the cathedral, one of the most visited sites on the planet, may have stemmed from undergoing renovations at the church. The flames seemingly began at the top of the iconic 800-year-old Notre Dame became engulfed in flames a little

"It's the worst image of Paris I've ever seen and I was here for the (2015) terrorist attacks," Joanne Patton, an American and 21-year resident of Paris told The Daily Beast.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo called it a "horrible fire."

French historian Camille Pascal sounded almost in tears when he recounted on French television what Notre Dame means to France and the world.

"The cathedral of Notre Dame is impossible to separate from that of France and French national identity. It means so much, it is fundamental to France and French values. It has endured. We have never seen it like this. Never."