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Notre Dame Cathedral Art Was Saved With Robots: Paris Fire Chief

Paris firefighters sent in special robots with soft padding to save art from Notre Dame cathedral inferno.

Firefighters in Paris said at a press conference on Wednesday that they sent special fire resistant robots with soft padding to save some of the art inside Notre Dame Cathedral when it got too hot for humans. The robots were created to save art from natural disasters or terror attacks. Speaking to reporters, Philippe Demay, deputy chief of the Paris fire brigade said that 100 specially trained firefighters and two specialized robots were dedicated to pinpointing and pulling art out of the building for the nine hours it burned. The fire was so hot it melted lead fixtures on the roof. Demay also said they were extremely worried that the massive bells would fall if the wood beams holding them up caught fire. The firefighters also used special soft flow water hoses on the Rose Windows so they wouldn’t blow out the glass. There are still 60 firefighters on the scene keeping hot spots wet. The scaffolding used during the renovation has also warped and melted, making it difficult to remove. Demay said they are still concerned that hot cinders could restart the fire at any time. “It was the most complicated situation I’ve ever encountered,” he said.

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