Notre Dame Cathedral fire: Trump suggests 'flying water tankers could be used' on blazing 850-year-old structure
President Donald Trump took to Twitter to respond to the horrific Notre Dame Cathedral fire on Monday, and advised the firefighters to use "flying water tankers" on the 850-year-old structure.
"So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!" Trump tweeted.
However, the US president's tweet did not go well with multiple users, who slammed him for his usage of words. French users also chimed in.
"Can you please teach us how to put a fire out ? We the French have no clue, we're currently blowing on it but it doesn't work. Please help us o mighty world ruler," one user responded to the president's tweet.
"I hope the trained firefighters knew enough to act quickly. This is invaluable advice," another Twitter user said.
While there were some who drew attention close home, tweeting: "Trump is apparently an expert at fighting Cathedral fires overseas, but when it comes to natural fires in American forests, he wants nothing to do with them."
The cause of the blaze is not yet clear, however, officials said that it is associated with renovation work at the building, according to BBC. Multiple images circulated on social media of plumes of smoke billowing into the air about the Gothic building.
French President Emmanuel Macron is treating the fire gutting Notre Dame Cathedral as a national emergency. Macron reached the landmark cathedral on Monday evening and went straight into meetings at the nearby Paris police headquarters.
France's civil security agency says "all means" except for water-dropping aircraft were deployed to tackle the blaze. The defense agency said those were unsuitable for fires like the one at Notre Dame because dumping water on the building could cause the whole structure to collapse.
The cathedral is one of the major tourist attractions of Paris and its construction began in the 12th century, taking about 300 years to complete. Although the structure is predominantly French Gothic, there are certain areas which reflect the Renaissance and the Naturalism era of construction.
Catholic Church in France, last year, had launched an urgent appeal for funds to save the cathedral, which was beginning to crumble.
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, also spoke on the blaze, calling it a "terrible fire." The mayor urged people at the scene to respect the boundaries set up by the firefighters in an effort to ensure everyone remains safe.