# Eiffel Tower on Fire??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 22, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187 "2003-07-22T17:32:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/1 "2003-07-22T17:32:47Z")
I heard it on the radio, and it’s on CNN, but I can’t find a link. Please, don’t let it be terrorism. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/2 "2003-07-22T17:43:50Z")
I haven’t been able to find anything apart from the CNN non-link headline. Since I’m at home, I flipped the television to CNN, but it’s a commercial at the moment. (As it came off the commercial, they’re talking about Jessica Lynch.) [http://www.abcparislive.com/](http://www.abcparislive.com/) is supposed to have a webcam, but I can’t seem to get a decent connection today and don’t want to try it. ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/3 "2003-07-22T17:48:28Z")
[url-“[http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030722/ap\_on\_re\_eu/france\_eiffel\_tower](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030722/ap_on_re_eu/france_eiffel_tower)”]link to the AP story. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/4 "2003-07-22T17:52:24Z")
There is nothing to that effect on [cnn.com](http://cnn.com), and the webcam shows the tower in a cloudy sky. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/5 "2003-07-22T17:54:56Z")
[This report](http://www.tf1.fr/news/france/0,,1115957,00.html) from French TV channel TF1 claims that a small fire has been discovered and the tower has been evacuated as a precaution. No explanation of the cause is forthcoming as yet. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/6 "2003-07-22T17:55:17Z")
From the [BBC](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3088147.stm). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/7 "2003-07-22T17:58:28Z")
The [Toronto Star](http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1058868614660&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154). ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/8 "2003-07-22T18:03:19Z")
[Updated CNN link](http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/07/22/eiffel.tower/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/9 "2003-07-22T18:05:06Z")
The French report has a little more detail and says it’s a short-circuit in some electrical equipment, on a level not used by tourists. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/10 "2003-07-22T18:22:28Z")
They’re obviously keeping that story as up to date as they can – I only posted 10 mins before you and there was no mention of a short circuit when I read it. At least if it’s an electrical fire they should be able to put it out with stuff they can take up the tower easily enough. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/11 "2003-07-22T18:25:28Z")
Contrary to popular belief, the Eiffel Tower is not made of Eiffels. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/12 "2003-07-22T18:28:55Z")
It looks like the fire is out. Okay, so I feel like Chicken Little. Carry on, folks. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/13 "2003-07-22T19:20:20Z")
[Fire is out (CBC)](http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/07/22/eiffel_fire030722) ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/14 "2003-07-22T19:25:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*Contrary to popular belief, the Eiffel Tower is not made of Eiffels. \*\* Well thank _goodness_. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/15 "2003-07-22T19:42:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*Contrary to popular belief, the Eiffel Tower is not made of Eiffels. \*\* You funny **Zen**. 😛 To put in a plug for one of my favorite historical figures: The iron tower was designed by civil engineer Gustav Eiffel and constructed by his Eiffel Company. The work began in January of 1887 and the tower was completed in March of 1889. Eiffel was a rather colorful figure who never married his live-in love (IIRC) and continued working until the age of 88. [sub]ok I’ll shut up now[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/16 "2003-07-22T19:48:23Z")
I presume everybody already knows the other really, really famous landmark Gustav had a hand in? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/17 "2003-07-22T19:49:41Z")
…and also designed the armature for the Statue of Liberty. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/18 "2003-07-22T19:54:04Z")
Hey, get out of my head **matt** ;). ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/19 "2003-07-22T20:00:35Z")
You mean she’s packing heat under that dress? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eiffel-tower-on-fire/190187/20 "2003-07-22T23:11:10Z")
Rumor has it that Bartholdi couldn’t even figure out how to make a scale model of Liberty stand up. So he engaged Eiffel to design the interior “skeleton”.