Crowded Streets
By 7:10 pm a smoke plume would be visible from a distance, and all of France would come to a standstill in fear for their beloved heritage site. This is a picture of the cathedral on a typical day on the Lle de la Cite. There is only one way into the island and one way out. The streets are full of tourists thus making it impossible for first responders to reach the site in time to extinguish the blaze. On top of that, swarms of people had swarmed around the site to take pictures and observe the catastrophe from up close.