WATCH: Major fire rips through iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

A major fire broke out at the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris on Monday afternoon, sending flames and huge clouds of grey smoke billowing into the sky, the fire service said.

The flames and smoke plumed from the spire and roof of the gothic cathedral, visited by millions of people a year, where renovations are currently underway.

Absolutely heartbreaking 💔 just visited this historical treasure last summer with my mom and grandmother.

Sending a steady stream of prayers to the Paris fire department as they work to save #NotreDame. pic.twitter.com/UKiCabbNop

— Katherine Sears (@K__Sears) April 15, 2019

Fire trucks could be seen speeding through Paris towards the scene on the Ile de la Cite — an island in the Seine at the heart of Paris.

French media quoted the Paris fire brigade saying the fire at the storied #NotreDame Cathedral is "potentially linked" to the renovation work: https://t.co/6HNfPSNto5
🎥: Shiv Malik/Twitter #NotreDameFire pic.twitter.com/gKBoRj63wt

— Elizabeth Thomas (@missliz34) April 15, 2019

The Paris police department in a tweet called on residents to avoid the area and to “make way for rescue vehicles”.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo in a tweet described it as a “terrible fire”.

Utterly heartbreaking scenes #NotreDame pic.twitter.com/oSRL1UC25d

— Joe Pickover (@JPickover) April 15, 2019

“The Paris fire service is trying to control the flames,” she wrote on Twitter, asking residents to respect the security cordon thrown up around the site.

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