Photos: Catastrophic fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame Cathedral as it burns in Paris on Monday. Massive plumes of smoke were filling the air above the cathedral, and ash covered tourists and others around the island that houses the church.

Firefighters douse flames shooting from the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris on Monday.

A firefighter battles flames as Notre Dame Cathedral burns in Paris on Monday. A catastrophic fire engulfed the upper reaches of the soaring cathedral as it was undergoing renovations Monday, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world as tourists and Parisians looked on aghast from the streets below.

A firefighter battles flames at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday. Officials say the church's structure had been saved after firefighters managed to stop the blaze from spreading to the northern belfry.

Hundreds of people watched the blaze in shock from bridges around the island that houses the Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday. Officials said "two thirds of the roofing has been ravaged."

Smoke and flames rise during the blaze at the landmark church in Paris on Monday. As Notre Dame Cathedral burned, Parisians gathered to pray and sang hymns outside a church across the river while flames lit the sky. 

People pray as Notre Dame Cathedral burns in Paris on Monday. The fire comes less than a week before Easter, amid Holy Week commemorations.

Smoke and flames fill the sky at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday. 

A man watches the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral burn, engulfed in flames, in central Paris on Monday.

Smoke and flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris on Monday. The local fire service said the blaze was potentially caused by renovation work being carried out at the site.

Flames and smoke are seen billowing from the roof of the 12th century church in Paris on Monday.

Seen from across the Seine River, smoke and flames rise during the fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris on Monday.

People watch from a distance as Notre Dame Cathedral burns in Paris on Monday.

Charred debris inside Notre Dame Cathedral on Tuesday in Paris in the aftermath of a fire that devastated the church.

French police officers stand while charred debris are seen inside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Tuesday.

The interior of Notre Dame Cathedral is seen through a doorway on Tuesday in Paris.

An overview of the interior of Notre Dame Cathedral as flames are burning the roof cathedral in Paris late Monday. 

A firefighter walks in front of Notre Dame Cathedral Tuesday. Firefighters declared success Tuesday morning in an over-12-hour battle to extinguish an inferno engulfing Paris' iconic cathedral that claimed its spire and roof, but spared its bell towers.

Firefighters stand on an exterior passageway on Tuesday after a massive fire destroyed the roof of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral.

Inspectors are seen on the roof of the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral on Tuesday, the day after a fire ripped through its main roof. 

An image taken from a television screen shows an aerial view of Notre Dame Cathedral engulfed in flames on Monday in Paris. 

This general view from the entrance shows smoke rising in front of the altar at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday.

Flames and smoke are seen as the interior of Notre Dame Cathedral continues to burn on Monday in Paris.

Smoke rises around the altar inside the Notre Dame Cathedral as the fire continues to burn on Tuesday in Paris.