Sunday, march 17, in the early afternoon, a fire broke out in the church of Saint-Sulpice, one of Paris’s most prestigious. Quickly contained by firefighters, who arrived on the scene within five minutes, the fire was said then that an organ concert was held in the church. “The listeners have heard the fire crackle and had time to exit through the main door,” says Karen Taïeb, assistant to the mayor of Paris in charge of Heritage, who visited the site on Sunday 14 hours, to see the damage.

The fire had damaged the door, the Xviii, located in rue Palatine. The fire then spread to the top and has destroyed a bas-relief in stucco, and stained glass windows and a staircase. Fortunately, the fire was controlled before reaching the three paintings of Delacroix, Saint Michael slaying the devil , Jacob Wrestling with the Angel and Heliodorus chased from the temple , which are the pride of the building.

“The fire started between the door and the revolving doors giving access to the church. The sas has played a role of firewall,” adds the assistant.

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Monday, teams from the Paris city hall are returned on-site to evaluate the cost and time of restoration of the damaged parts. “We also expect the findings of the police to find out if the fire was criminal or accidental,” underlines Karine Taïeb. The electricity had to be redone, reports the deputy, who said today “all the same relieved”. “It could have been worse, both for the church and for the faithful,” she concludes.

The prosecutor announced that the track is not a priori criminal. The survey is only open to “damage by means dangerous”. It would be clothing of a HOMELESS person who would have burned, because of a stove or a cigarette butt, the cause of the starting of the fire.

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