Notre Dame tragedy stirs memories of 1984 York Minster fire

The dramatic images of a burning Notre Dame Cathedral have brought back memories of the devastating blaze which severely damaged York Minster 35 years ago.

On July 9 1984, the people of York saw what were described at the time as 'biblical images' of flames engulfing the roof of the massive structure.

Hundreds of firefighters battled through the night to save the building whose history and symbolism were similarly seen as part of the fabric of the north of England.

But, unlike in Paris, the fire crews who rushed to the city centre from across North Yorkshire managed to control the flames within a few hours and the majority of the Minster was saved.

The cost was still huge. But the efforts made to restore the devastating damaged section may give some hope to those assessing the future of the Paris landmark.

The fire, which was later attributed to a lightning strike, destroyed the roof of the Minster's South Transept, which was rebuilt using the traditional materials of medieval builders as part of a £2.25 million restoration project.

The best known victim of the blaze, and of the Minster's subsequent restoration, was the famous Rose Window, the stained glass masterpiece which looks over the centre of York.

The window stayed in place, despite the fire raging around it, but its 73 panels were damaged.

WATCH: Archive footage from the clear-up operation after the 1984 York Minster fire.

As work began rebuilding the roof, craftsmen started to reconstruct the window. Special adhesives were developed just for this project so the traditional properties of the glass could be maintained when the restored pieces were sandwiched between new, clear mini-panes.

Since the drama of 1984, the Minster has seen a range of spectacular restoration schemes unrelated to the fire, including a £20 million project centred on the rebuilding of the 600-year-old Great East Window - the largest single expanse of medieval stained glass in the UK, has ended at York Minster.

Restoration of the Minster is an ongoing project and the Minster has maintained a team of specialist crafts people, based at the building.

Lord Mayor of York Keith Orrell has said he will be writing to the Mayor of Paris on behalf of the City of York.

Prayers for Notre Dame were said at the Compline service at York Minster on Monday night and will continue throughout Tuesday.