“I thought the building was going to fall”: witness to the fire at the old Copenhagen stock exchange, Gwenaëlle recounts the tragedy

Copenhagen's historic old stock exchange engulfed in flames on Tuesday April 16. Midi Free Editing – GJ/MAXPPP

Five years almost to the day after the fire that ravaged Notre-Dame-de-Paris, another emblematic monument of a European capital is in flames. The old Copenhagen Stock Exchange burned and the images of its burning spire inevitably bring to mind those of the Parisian monument. Gwenaëlle, a French woman who has lived in Denmark for 5 years, gives us her testimony.

The old Copenhagen Stock Exchange, one of the best-known buildings in the Danish capital, was in flames this Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The spectacular fire caused the explosion. rsquo;collapse of its famous spire.

Depuis Copenhague, @D_Mathiou m’envoie cette vidéo de la flèche de la Bourse, s’effondrant dans l’incendie qui a détruit ce bâtiment historique. « J'ai immédiatement pensé à Notre-Dame de Paris » me dit-il. pic.twitter.com/OFZLaxfJjl

— Alban Barthélemy (@AlbanBty) April 16, 2024

A feeling of déjà vu

It is 8:30 a.m. when the 24-year-old young woman learns this shocking news. Just a few hours after the start of the fire which broke out around 7:30 a.m. "My fiancé left for work early this morning, but came back five minutes later. I asked him what was going on, she says. He told me that he had received a message from his boss asking him not to come to work because the old Copenhagen Stock Exchange was on fire and the street was blocked."

🇩🇰 Une triste nouvelle, la flèche historique de la Bourse de #Copenhague s'effondre dans les flammes, rappelant le souvenir douloureux de Notre-Dame, il y a près de 5 ans.

En tant qu'Européens, montrons notre solidarité envers le Danemark dans ces moments difficiles.@francedk pic.twitter.com/EVH9GiLHNM

— Alexandre Holroyd (@alexIholroyd) April 16, 2024

The scene recalls that of the fire which ravaged Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in 2019, almost five years ago to the day. And this resemblance did not escape Gwenaëlle, who has lived in the Danish capital for 5 years and witnessed this terrible fire.

"Seeing the flames and the cloud of smoke from home, I had a feeling of déjà vu. The spire that collapsed immediately made me think of that of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. It’was disturbing", she confided before adding : "The height of the flames was impressive, I thought the building was going to fall. It’s my country of heart so it particularly touches me."

The flames visible from Gwenaëlle's home.

"This is not a cathedral. The consequences are therefore not the same as five years ago in France, there is not this religious side, she specifies. 

The historic building, best known for its spiral-shaped spire with the coiled tails of four dragons, was under renovation when the fire broke out.  "The fire broke out inside the building while work was taking place outside on the facade, she specifies. There was no threat of collapse, it happened suddenly, no one noticed ;waited there."

Devastated.
Our thoughts are in Copenhagen.
We hope this magnificent building and its artworks can be saved.#Danemark #Børsen #Borsen pic.twitter.com/UhEiSzzPjU

— Ans Persoons (@AnsPersoons) April 16, 2024

Gwenaëlle wishes, just like Notre-Dame de Paris, that the historic 17th century building be renovated: "A lot of ;rsquo;There have been fires in Copenhagen recently, but they rebuilt everything quickly because the Danes are self-sufficient and use all the means they have."

After the fear that the flames would spread due to the wind, the sadness of losing part of History and the anxiety that the building would collapse, it is now appeasement and relief that reign in this country where solidarity is the watchword.

So far, no injuries have been reported, police said. Is it an accident or an accident? ;a criminal act ? The cause of the fire was not immediately specified.

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