Paris: A "computer glitch" may have been behind the fast-spreading fire that ravaged Notre Dame, the cathedral's rector said Friday, as architects and construction workers tried to figure out how to stabilize the damaged structure and protect it from the elements. The fire burned through the lattice of enormous oak beams supporting the monument's vaulted stone ceiling, dangerously weakening the building.
The surrounding neighborhood has been blocked off, and stones have continued to tumble off the sides of the cathedral since Monday evening's devastating blaze.
Speaking during a meeting of local business owners, rector Patrick Chauvet did not elaborate on the exact nature of the glitch, adding that "we may find out what happened in two or three months."
On Thursday, Paris police investigators said they think an electrical short-circuit most likely caused the fire.
The Parisien newspaper has reported that investigators are considering whether the fire could be linked to a computer glitch or related to temporary elevators used in the renovation that was underway at the time the cathedral caught fire.
Chauvet said there were fire alarms throughout the building, which he described as "well protected."
Charlotte Hubert, president of a group of French architects who specialize in historic monuments, told BFM television that experts plan to spread a custom-made peaked tarpaulin across the cathedral's roof, with enough space to also shield workers rebuilding the frame.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to set out reconstruction ideas during meetings Friday with officials from the United Nations' cultural agency, UNESCO.
Macron is moving quickly on the fire-ravaged monument's reconstruction, which is being viewed both as a push to make it part of his legacy and a way to move past the divisive yellow vest protests over economic issues in France.
Notre Dame's reconstruction is prompting widespread debate across France, with differing views emerging over whether it should involve new technologies and designs.
Macron's office has, for example, said the president wants a "contemporary architectural gesture to be considered" for the collapsed spire, which wasn't part of the original cathedral.
Macron hasn't offered any specifics on his vision for the roof or whether the frame should be wood, metal or concrete, according to his cultural heritage envoy, Stephane Bern.
He has named a general, Jean-Louis Georgelin, former chief of staff of the armed forces, to lead the reconstruction effort.
Over USD 1 billion has already poured in from people from all walks of life around the world to restore Notre Dame.
Judith Kagan, a conservation official at France's Culture Ministry, said the artworks inside Notre Dame had suffered no major damage from the fire and the pieces were being removed from the building for their protection.