Prosecutors: No Evidence of Criminal Origin in Notre Dame Fire

There is no evidence of criminal origin in the fire that ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.In a statement on Wednesday, the prosecutor’s office provided various possible causes for the fire, including faulty wiring and an improperly disposed cigarette, but no conclusion. The office had conducted 100 interviews as part of a preliminary investigation into the fire and found no evidence that established any criminal intent in the April 15 fire.The cause of the fire has not been identified, according to a statement by Chief Paris Prosecutor Remy Heitz.”Deeper investigations, using significant expertise, will now be undertaken,” the statement continued. The prosecutor’s office also announced a new investigation into potential negligence in connection with the fire Wednesday.  In April, a spokesperson for scaffolding company Le Bras Freres revealed that its employees had smoked cigarettes while working on the cathedral, though they maintained that they were not at fault and could not have caused the fire.The Notre Dame fire, which destroyed the steeple and much of the roof, resulted in a broad outpouring of international support calling for the reconstruction of the cathedral. French President Emmanuel Macron has set a five-year target for reconstruction. 
 
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