Social media users near the scene of the fire engulfing Notre-Dame de Paris have posted horrifying footage of the fire.
A Sputnik France stream of the situation showed the fire continuing to burn out of control as of 7:45 pm local time.
The footage showed a massive plume of smoke rising from the cathedral's roof, with bright orange flames seen rising from the roof and from inside windows looking out onto River Seine.
The fire reportedly began at around 6:50 pm local time, according to the Paris fire department. AFP reported that the fire may have been started accidentally during renovation works underway inside the cathedral. Police are currently treating the fire as an accident.
Notre-Dame is one of Paris' most widely recognised landmarks, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.