Investigations are underway after a devastating fire tore through the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday. Authorities are questioning workers from numerous companies as of this afternoon in an effort to figure out the cause of the blaze.
It has been reported that an alarm went off at 6:20 PM but no fire was discovered. It was not until another alarm sounded at 6:43 that the blaze was found.
As the investigation drags on, France and the rest of the globe has tried to remain positive. Close to $1 billion has been raised to rebuild the cathedral with donations coming from the richest families in France as well as several companies such as Apple and Ubisoft.
While the structure of the building was preserved, there were still significant losses. The wooden roof structure – which was an engineering marvel – has been completely lost. The wood was up to 1,300 years old and contained Oak from some of Europe’s ancient, untouched forests. The wooden interior was also burned out.
Assassins Creed: Unity Could Be Used In The Rebuilding Effort
As efforts turn toward the rebuild, an interesting suggestion has come forward. The developers of Assassin’s Creed: Unity have offered to lend their digital model to the rebuilding effort. The team spent 14 months creating the fully explore able interior and described it as a “benchmark” in terms of player navigation.
A Ubisoft spokesman recently spoke to Mashable.com and said that: “while we wanted to be precise with details, there are some differences in terms of scale and with some elements. With that being said, we would be more than happy to lend our expertise in any way that we can help with these efforts”. Ubisoft has also pledged 500,000 Euros to rebuilding funds.
The company also announced that they would be making the game available for free download. The Assasain’s Creed series allows players to explore a virtual version of historical events and time periods. The Unity installment takes place in France and thus includes the cathedral.
Emmanuel Macron has said that he wants to see the rebuilding efforts complete within five years.