Rouen Cathedral, a Gothic remnant from 12th century France made famous by Claude Monet, catches fire
A 12th century Gothic cathedral in Rouen, in northern France, has caught ablaze, according to the region's mayor.
Rouen mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol said the cause of the fire was unknown.
The cathedral is widely known as it was painted several times by French impressionist painter Claude Monet in the 19th century.
Television images on BFM channel showed a dark plume of smoke rising from the spire and people in the streets below looking up in horror.
Fire brigade chief Stephane Gouezec said 70 firefighters and about 40 fire engines were taking part in the operation.
"We are in the process of making sure the fire is out," he said.
"We will still need some time, perhaps an hour or so, to make sure there are no hot spots left in the area."
The part of the spire where the fire broke out was located about 120 metres above the ground, he added.
The local prefect, a state authority, said the cathedral has been evacuated and a security cordon has been set up.
It says the fire occurred at a part of the cathedral where building works are currently taking place.
Eyewitness Patrick Waeselynck told BFM television he was sitting at the terrace of a nearby cafe when he heard people shouting "fire".
"I turn around and I see the cathedral spire, the tarpaulin which was protecting the restoration work, which was burning, big flames, black smoke," he said.
"The first thing we thought was what happened in Paris, it was a shock of course. But the police arrived, they set up a security perimeter, the firefighters arrived."
The Rouen cathedral spire had been surrounded by scaffolding and a white cover for several weeks.
The prefecture said there were no reports of casualties and the extent of the damage was unclear for now.
In 2019, a fire devastated Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral, destroying its spire and roof and threatened to collapse the whole structure.
Reuters