Many thanks for your kind words, Craig.

I don't think that we have lost Notre-Dame de Paris completely: quite a lot of unique collections displayed inside were evacuated while the top was burning and the firemen chose to let the roof burn completely to be able to save the stone structure and in particular the 2 towers at front: they have done a wonderful job, often putting their lives at risk.
That's why airplanes or helicopters were not used (as some recommended it!), to avoid dropping large volumes of water on small surfaces, which might have destroyed the large scaffolds structure installed on the roof and possibly led to a complete destruction of the 800-year+ old building (the 1st place visited in France with approx. 13 millions visitors a year).
As soon as the fire ended, technical inspections of the structure commenced and should be completed within 48 hours: what needs to be supported/removed immediately to restore building strength should then be done and after that it is "just" a matter of rebuilding the ceiling (which fell down in 2 locations) and the entire roof with its central spire (which was installed in the 19th century, by the way): some years of work and a lot of money involved!
I suspect that there will be a lot of debates now about restoration: should we rebuild the roof using Middle-Age techniques or more modern ones (for example, the Reims cathedral, destroyed during World War 1, has now a concrete roof structure - much lighter than the wooden original one - which can't burn)?
I assume that money won't be a problem, looking at the enthusiasm for donations experienced yesterday, with more than 500 million Euros already promised by companies and individuals, just in France.
Here is one of the numerous donation websites: https://www.fondation-patrimoine.org/les-projets/sauvons-notre-dame-de-paris

I hope it helps.
Guy

Same here, Craig.

Of course there is a lot of damage, and it's a catastrophe - but like Guy said, Notre-Dame is not lost completly. One reason the damage could be confined to a certain amount was the use of a fire fighting robot: Called Collossus, the machine could be sent into the cathedral where it would be to dangerous human fire fighters because of collapsing roof parts.

But it was not just high tech that saved the cathedral: Such buildings where exposed to a great threat of fire ever since. Hence, the wooden roof structure is seperated from the rest of the building by a huge arched vault made of lime stone. Of course, there is considerable damage to the lime stone structures now, too.

Regardless how much effort is put into its restauration - it will be never be the same as before. But Notre-Dame de Paris has now a new important mark in its history: It survived a fire.

God bless this nation,

With best wishes from Germany
Max