Fire Drill To Save Art In Strasbourg Cathedral

Strasbourg (France): Explosions, smoke, fire alarms and water hoses: Strasbourg's thousand-year-old cathedral was the scene of a "real-life" fire drill on Tuesday to train firefighters to protect the works of art housed in France's second most visited religious building in the event of a fire. 

The Strasbourg Cathedral is the second-most visited religious building in France. The historic structure is home to some of the most exquisite art pieces in the world. The mock drill was conducted to prepare the firefighters in case of a disaster. The firefighters had to simulate saving the art in the case of a real fire. 

"We are simply dealing with a fire that broke out in the roof of the Cathedral, in a wing of the building that houses the Astronomical Clock and also contains several classified and remarkable works of art," Captain Claude Boehm, Press officer, said. 

Alexandre Cojannot, Regional Conservator of Historic Monuments for Alsace, said the Cathedral contains the statues of the twelve apostles, which are wooden busts dating from the 18th century. "They have been in place since the 18th century and are sensitive to both water and fire. As museum pieces, they are evacuated as a matter of priority to avoid damage," he said. 

Alexis Neviaski, Deputy Director General of Cultural Affairs DRAC (Regional Department of Cultural Affairs) said the solution proposed by the conservation plan is to adapt this protective measure to each individual piece. "They are covered with a fireproof tarpaulin to prevent the fire from spreading to this protected heritage, this national treasure."