Notre Dame Fire Finally Extinguished after 12-Hour Battle

After a 12-hour long battle against the spreading flames engulfing the iconic Notre Dame cathedral, firefighters confirmed that the flames have finally been completely extinguished.

Firefighters in Paris emerged victorious on Tuesday morning. They officially announced success in their lengthy 12-hour battle to extinguish the flames that engulfed iconic Notre Dame cathedral.

The fire, which broke out yesterday, left behind only a blackened shell of the monument immortalized in Victor Hugo's 1831 novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." The building had survived almost 900 years of tumultuous French history was almost burnt to the ground yesterday.

The cathedral's spire and roof were lost to the fire and all that remains intact are the two iconic 69-meter bell towers. At dawn, building specialists and architects arrived at the site to conducted an analysis on the remains.

Paris firefighters spokesman Gabriel Plus revealed that "the entire fire is out." He added that emergency services are currently "surveying the movement of the structures and extinguishing smoldering residues."

"The task overnight was to bring the fire under control so it doesn't re-start," said Junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. He added, "The task is — now the risk of fire has been put aside — about the building, how the structure will resist."

Officials have ruled the fire an accident possibly caused by the restoration work taking place at the global architectural treasure. French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to rebuild the cathedral and appealed to anyone who could offer help to come forward.

The richest businessman in France, Bernard Arnault, and his luxury goods group LVMH answered this call with a pledge of 200 million euros ($226 million). Businessman Francois-Henri Pinault and his billionaire father Francois Pinault also pledged 100 million euros from their company, Artemis, to help finance repairs.

The 12th-century church is home to relics, stained glass and other works of art of incalculable value,. It is a leading tourist attraction.