Huge fire rips through Paris just five years after Notre Dame blaze

Hundreds of firefighters have been battling a blaze in central Paris at a recycling plant and the city’s brand-new sports court complex.

A major ring road was closed to traffic in both directions last night as firefighters fought a massive blaze north of the French capital.

It’s believed the flames originated from the basement of the Syctom waste sorting centre in the 17th arrondissement on Monday afternoon, but by early evening, more than 200 firefighters and 60 trucks were fighting ‘toxic fumes’.

An emergency spokesperson said: ‘There are fears that the wooden beams of the building will collapse and that the wind will cause the fire to spread further north.’

Thick black smoke could be seen pouring out of the building and spreading to surrounding districts.

Smoke plumes and orange flames could also be seen rising above the world-famous Sacre Coeur Basilica, but it was not believed to be threatened.

There have been no injuries reported but a large area around the affected buildings was evacuated out of precaution.

The Paris ring road – known as the périphérique – stretches 22 miles – and its closure sparked large traffic jams near Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports.

There were no immediate indications as to what caused the fire, but a full investigation was likely to get underway as soon as the blaze was underway control.

Eye witness Karim Aboulker, 47, said: ‘It’s a frightening looking fire – we’ve been told to move somewhere else. The entire area is very chaotic.’

It was almost exactly six years ago – on April 15, 2019 – that a massive fire broke out at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The fire was thought to have been started by a discarded cigarette or an electrical short circuit and destroyed the cathedral’s wooden spire and most of the wooden roof.

A restoration programme costing multi-millions saw the Cathedral reopen last December.

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