Expand / Collapse search
☰

Fire tears through 15th-century French cathedral, police investigating as possible arson

Updated  July 18, 2020 6:18pm EDT
U.S.
Storyful

Historic Nantes Cathedral damaged by fire

A fire ripped through parts of St Peter’s and St Paul’s Cathedral in Nantes, France.

FRANCE - A fire ripped through parts of St Peter’s and St Paul’s Cathedral in Nantes, France, on July 18, with firefighters working to bring the blaze under control from the plaza outside.

According to reports, the surrounding neighborhood was cordoned off while firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.

Prosecutor Pierre Sennes told reporters three fires had been started inside the cathedral and authorities were treating the incident as a case of arson, according to the Irish Times.

Smoke billowed from the church's two towers and stain glass was shattered and blown out of the windows. No injuries were reported.

Officials announced that they were launching an arson probe to investigate how the fire began.

FOX News contributed to this report.