France doesn’t have big enough trees to replace burned Notre Dame beams

PARIS — A French cultural heritage expert says France no longer has trees big enough to replace ancient wooden beams that burned in the Notre Dame fire.

Bertrand de Feydeau, vice-president of preservation group Fondation du Patrimoine, told France Info radio that the wooden roof that went up in flames was built with beams more than 800 years ago from primal forests.

He says the cathedral’s roof cannot be rebuilt exactly as it was before the fire because “we don’t, at the moment, have trees on our territory of the size that were cut in the 13th century.”

He says the restoration work will have to use new technologies to rebuild the roof.

Meanwhile, French tycoon Bernard Arnault and his luxury goods group LVMH have pledged 200 million euros —— 302 million-dollars —— for the reconstruction of Notre Dame.

Francois Pinault, another billionaire, reportedly donated 100 million-euro —— 151 million-dollars.  

Experts are assessing the blackened shell of Paris’ iconic Notre Dame cathedral to establish next steps to save what remains after a devastating fire destroyed much of the almost 900-year-old building.

With the fire that broke out Monday evening and quickly consumed the cathedral now under control, attention is turning to ensuring the structural integrity of the remaining building.

The Associated Press