The leader of the task force overseeing the cleanup and restoration, Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, has said that the 850-year-old cathedral now has solid pillars and walls and a foundation that will permit restoration, after a fire on April 15, 2019 ravaged the iconic building, engulfing the attic and toppling the iconic spire while raining down debris on the floor and lower levels. Firefighters numbering in the hundreds battled through the night and saved the main structure and iconic bell towers of one of the world's most famous landmarks.

Investigators have yet to confirm the cause of the conflagration; however, the investigations have focused on either a short-circuit near the spire or negligence by workers doing renovations.

French President Emmanuel Macron, not long after the fire had been contained, declared a five-year deadline for completion of the restoration, in line with Paris's playing host to the Summer Olympics for the third time (1900 and 1924 being the other two).

Work to restore the famous organ will begin soon, and the rest of the restoration is expected to begin within a few months. Donations in the hundreds of millions of euros poured in during the first few weeks and months after the fire. Various organizations, including the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, are still seeking help to fund the expensive restoration.

The building, the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, was a popular tourist attraction, with the number of annual visitors exceeding 12 million people.