Tourists were evacuated from the historic Palace of Versailles in France due to the outbreak of a fire Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
A fire alarm was pulled in one of the buildings that alerted the staff, who called emergency services, the Daily Mail reported, citing French media. (RELATED: At Least 27 Dead After Major Fire At Indian Amusement Park)
Firefighters were rushed to the scene of the historic 17th century palace, the Daily Mail reported.
“Smoke was reported at the Palace today. The incident was quickly brought under control and the public was evacuated for safety reasons. The Palace and gardens are open,” the Twitter account for the Palace of Versailles wrote.
🌎 Smoke was reported at the Palace today. The incident was quickly brought under control and the public was evacuated for safety reasons. The Palace and gardens are open. pic.twitter.com/uOrK4GebXE
— Château de Versailles (@CVersailles) June 11, 2024
“There is no more smoke, no more flames and there is no damage to the collection,” a palace spokesperson told the Daily Mail.
A spokesperson told Reuters that the fire broke out on the roof of the palace where renovation work was being done.
VERSAILLES, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 20: A general view prior to a state dinner at the Chateau de Versailles on September 20, 2023. The King and The Queen’s first state visit to France will take place in Paris, Versailles and Bordeaux from Wednesday 20th to Friday 23rd 2023. The visit had been initially scheduled for March 26th – 29th but had to be postponed due to mass strikes and protests. (Photo by Christian Liewig – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
VERSAILLES, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 20: Carole Bouquet arrives at the Palace of Versailles ahead of the State Dinner held in honor of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the Hall of Mirrors of the Chateau de Versailles on September 20, 2023 in Versailles, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
The palace was built from a pre-existing hunting lodge in the 17th century during the reign of King Louis XIV and used as the main royal residence until the French Revolution ended the monarchy in 1789. The palace was a silent witness to other momentous events in history as it was the site where the German Empire was proclaimed on Jan. 18, 1871, according to the palace’s website. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 that formally ended World War I was signed in the palace’s Hall of Mirrors, the website noted.
This photograph shows the temporary infrastructure under construction at the Parc du Chateau de Versailles, in Versailles on May 6, 2024, which will accommodate up to 16,300 attendees for the equestrian events during the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)
Security guard Hakim poses in the Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces) in the Chateau de Versailles (Palace of Versailles), in Versailles, southwest of Paris on April 8, 2024. From the stage of the Moulin Rouge to the tarmac of Charles-de-Gaulle airport and the Chateau de Versailles, AFP photographers went to meet the French people who will be welcoming the millions of visitors to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. They are police officers, bus drivers, museum attendants or waiters, and this summer they will be in contact with the more than 15 million tourists expected in the capital. (Photo by STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP via Getty Images)
This is not the first time that a fire broke out in a historic site in France. A much more serious fire occurred in April of 2019 at Notre Dame Cathedral due to a lit cigarette or faulty electrical wiring. While the fire did a lot of damage to the edifice of the Cathedral, the most important artifacts like the Crown of Thorns were saved from the flames.
