In Paris, a serious fire of indefinite origin broke out on the night of Sunday to Monday in the town hall of the 12th arrondissement, causing damage in the roof but without making victims. The flames won the first and then the second floor and then reached the belfry, igniting up to 36 meters in height. “The fire was under control, but the frame was strongly damaged”said the Paris prosecutor’s office.
The fears mainly concerned the upper part of the belfry. “According to Paris firefighters, the safest would be to drop the belfry, which contains a bell, to avoid any risk of collapse”said Patrick Bloche, the deputy mayor of Paris. According to BFMTV, the belfry should be dismantled as a precaution today on Tuesday.
The prefect of police Laurent Nunez, the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and the mayor of the 12th arrondissement Emmanuelle Pierre-Marie went on the spot, not failing to make the parallel with the fire of Notre-Dame: “To see this town hall in flames will certainly mark for life. It’s a lot of emotions ”saddened Emmanuelle Pierre-Marie.
The intervention of the firefighters, more than a hundred, made it possible to save “Even water” The civil status registers, and the works of art that were present in the town hall.
Built in 1876 according to the plans of the architect Antoine-Julien Hénard (1812-1887), the façade of the town hall was decorated with two statues: one representing a cabinetmaker and the other a winemaker, in homage to the workers of the faubourg Saint-Antoine and de Bercy. The ceilings of the staircase of honor and its Tuscan columns in pink granites are decorated with paintings by Eugène Thirion (1839-1910) representing the industries of the 12th arrondissement: instruction and public assistance. There is also the furniture of the Boulle interior architecture school.
The town hall of the 12th arrondissement, temporarily closed, will be restored and the belfry rebuilt identically. “This classified building must be restored with respect for its history”said Emmanuelle Pierre-Marie. In the meantime, urgent requests are taken care of by the town hall of the 11th arrondissement.
A judicial investigation is still underway to determine the precise causes of the claim, but, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office, “Nothing suggests a voluntary act”.