Donald Trump slammed by firefighters for telling them to air drop water on Notre Dame… that would have COLLAPSED the 850-year-old building
FIREFIGHTING experts have blasted Donald Trump after he advised air dropping water on the burning Notre Dame cathedral — because it would have made the stricken building collapse.
The US President was one of the first world leaders to respond as the drama unfolded and suggested using aerial water tankers that are usually used to battle forest fires.
Trump tweeted: "So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!"
But it turned out that doing this may well have caused more damage to the ancient structure which appears to have survived against the odds.
After Trump's tweet French civic security services wrote back in English, saying: “Hundreds of firemen of the Paris Fire Brigade are doing everything they can to bring the terrible #NotreDame fire under control.
“All means are being used, except for water-bombing aircraft which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral.”
It also tweeted, in English, that: "Helicopter or airplane, the weight of the water and the intensity of the drop at low altitude could indeed weaken the structure of Notre-Dame and cause collateral damage to the surrounding buildings.”
Other commentators were also quick to point out the perils of such a tactic.
French news site Le Monde explained: “A Canadair projects about six tonnes of water at high speed to the ground: the danger is significant of hurting one or more people around the building – which is why Canadair interventions are so infrequent in urban and peri-urban areas.
“Such an intervention could also significantly destroy the little remaining structure of the cathedral."
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The folly of Trump’s firefighting advice was widely criticised on social media.
Star Trek actor George Takei posted: "Literally no one asked you" to the US President.
In the end firefighters were able to save the building from complete destruction.
The fire was completely out by Tuesday morning.
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