News
Fire Destroys Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Dating To 1600s, Collapsing Its Dragon-Tail Spire
COPENHAGEN, Denmark – A fire blazed through one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings Tuesday, destroying roughly half of the 17th-century Old Stock Exchange and collapsing its famed dragon-tail spire, while bystanders hurried to assist emergency services in saving priceless paintings and other treasures.
During renovations, the blaze started on the building’s roof, but authorities said it was too early to determine the cause. The red-brick structure, with its green copper roof and distinctive 56-meter (184-foot) spire shaped like four interwoven dragon tails, is a prominent tourist attraction in the heart of the capital, near Denmark’s parliament, Christiansborg Palace.
Fire Destroys Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Dating To 1600s, Collapsing Its Dragon-Tail Spire
As fire devoured the spire and drove it plummeting down the scaffolding-covered edifice, bells tolled, and sirens screamed. Huge billows of smoke ascended above downtown Copenhagen, visible from southern Sweden, separated from Denmark’s capital by a thin strait.
“A piece of Danish history is on fire,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Instagram, lamenting the loss of “irreplaceable cultural heritage.”
There were ambulances on the scene, but no reports of injuries.
Firefighters pumped water from a nearby canal and sprayed it into the doorway of the Old Stock Exchange’s gilded hall, which hosts gala dinners, conferences, and other events and displays many paintings.
Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said it was “touching” to see how many people came together “to save art treasures and iconic images from the burning building.” Soon after the fire broke out, one man rushed off his bicycle to aid, while public members assisted first responders in transporting large items of art to safety.
Among the pieces on show in the building was a massive 1895 painting by Danish artist P.S. Krøyer, “From Copenhagen Stock Exchange.” No information has been revealed on which works of art were saved from the blaze, although camera footage shows the Krøyer painting being removed.
Brian Mikkelsen, chief executive of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, which controls the Old Stock Exchange, was spotted with his team going through a binder containing images of artworks that needed to be conserved. Work was done on the adjoining parliament and national archive building. According to Mikkelsen, rescuers used crowbars and other tools to retrieve valuables and save them from the fire.
“We have been able to rescue a lot,” a moved Mikkelsen told reporters. “It is a national disaster.”
According to Jakob Vedsted Andersen, a Greater Copenhagen Fire Department spokeswoman, the fire started on the roof Tuesday morning and swiftly spread, collapsing parts and damaging around half of the building. He said no other structures were in danger, but it could take firemen 24 hours to clear the situation.
Fire Destroys Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Dating To 1600s, Collapsing Its Dragon-Tail Spire
Tim Ole Simonsen, another fire department spokesman, stated, “The fire started in the part of the building where work has been going on, but that’s all I can say about it.”
René Hansen of the coppersmith firm refurbishing the roof informed TV2 that 10 people were on the roof when the fire alarm sounded.
“After five minutes, smoke began to rise from the floor to the ceiling,” Hansen said.
Tommy Laursen of the Copenhagen police said it was too early to determine what started the fire, but officers would be allowed to access the building in “a few days.”
According to Denmark’s armed services, an army squad of up to 90 members was deployed to seal off the area and “secure valuables.”
King Frederik posted on Instagram that “an important part of our architectural heritage” was being destroyed. He also stated in an email that “this morning we woke up to a sad sight.”
The exchange, built in 1615, is a prime example of Dutch Renaissance design in Denmark. After the Copenhagen Stock Exchange left in 1974, the Chamber of Commerce moved into the building.
The roof, brickwork, sandstone, and spire were all being rebuilt, and Mikkelsen stated that the royal family, government leaders, and other dignitaries would be invited to observe the work later this year.
“That won’t happen now,” he stated.
The structure’s future was unknown, but Engel-Schmidt, the cultural minister, stated on the social media site X that he would do everything he could “so that the dragon spire will once again tower over Copenhagen,” describing it as “a symbol of Denmark’s strong history as a trading nation.”
The adjacent Christiansborg Palace has burned down multiple times, and in 1990, a fire broke out in an annex of the Danish parliament known as Proviantgaarden. However, the Old Stock Exchange remained unaffected.
Fire Destroys Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Dating To 1600s, Collapsing Its Dragon-Tail Spire
Police closed a prominent route in Copenhagen and notified the public that the area would be roped off for some time. Several bus routes were redirected, and the Danish media reported massive traffic congestion.
Queen Margrethe, who turned 84 on Tuesday, scaled back her celebrations due to the fire, according to broadcaster TV2. A band from the Royal Life Guard was supposed to perform for the former monarch outside Fredensborg Castle, where she is staying for the spring and summer, but it was canceled.
The Copenhagen fire was similar to the one at Notre Dame in April 2019. The 800-year-old cathedral in Paris also lost its spire. Its rehabilitation is scheduled for completion this year. When Windsor Castle in England caught fire in November 1992, troops and workmen rushed to salvage precious works of art. The fire destroyed the state dining room and other areas of Queen Elizabeth II’s vacation palace.
SOURCE – (AP)
News
Sun Shoots Out Biggest Solar Flare In Almost 2 Decades, But Earth Should Be Out Of The Way This Time
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The sun released its largest flare in nearly two decades Tuesday, only days after strong solar storms battered Earth and caused stunning northern lights in unexpected places.
“Not finished yet!” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated in its update.
Sun Shoots Out Biggest Solar Flare In Almost 2 Decades, But Earth Should Be Out Of The Way This Time
According to NOAA, it is the largest flare of this 11-year solar cycle, which is nearing its peak. The good news is that Earth should be safe this time since the flare erupted on a portion of the sun that rotates away from Earth.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the dazzling flash of the X-ray flare. It was the strongest flare since 2005, with an X8.7 rating.
Sun Shoots Out Biggest Solar Flare In Almost 2 Decades, But Earth Should Be Out Of The Way This Time
Bryan Brasher of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, believes it may have been much stronger after scientists gathered data from other sources.
It comes after nearly a week of coronal plasma flares and mass ejections that threatened to disrupt power and communications on Earth and in space. Brasher stated that an ejection connected with Tuesday’s flare appeared to be directed away from our planet, and further investigation is underway.
Sun Shoots Out Biggest Solar Flare In Almost 2 Decades, But Earth Should Be Out Of The Way This Time
According to NASA, the weekend geomagnetic storm forced one of its environmental satellites to rotate unexpectedly due to reduced altitude from space weather and enter a precautionary slumber known as safe mode. The seven astronauts on the International Space Station were urged to stay in places with strong radiation shielding. The crew was never in danger, according to NASA.
SOURCE – (AP)
News
Over 6,000 Told to Evacuate as Fort McMurray Fire Rages
As a wildfire rages uncontrollably south of Fort McMurray, Alberta, over 6000 inhabitants have been told to evacuate their homes. The wildfire, which was discovered on Thursday around 25 kilometers southwest of the city, has expanded into an 11,000-hectare storm.
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, it was approximately 7.5 kilometers from Fort McMurray’s dump and 6.5 kilometers from the intersection of Highways 63 and 881 according to Fort McMurray Today.
According to Alberta Wildfire spokesperson Josee St-Onge, the fire has grown in size and spread to the northeast since the last estimate.
She stated that the wind is driving it towards Fort McMurray. According to St-Onge, the fire is approximately 13.5 kilometers from the Fort McMurray landfill, but “smoke is impacting visibility” and making it difficult to identify actual distances.
“We’re seeing extreme fire behaviour,” she stated. “Smoke columns are developing.” Firefighters have been removed from the fire lines for their own safety, according to St-Onge, but the aerial onslaught continues.
“We understand that this is a very stressful time for the community.” We’re doing everything we can,” she explained.
People in the Abasand, Beacon Hill, Grayling Terrace, and Prairie Creek communities have been asked to leave. Abasand and Beacon Hill lost the majority of the 2,579 properties burned by the Horse River wildfire of 2016.
Rush to evacuate Fort McMurray
People in Fort McMurray have been urged to prepare for an evacuation since Friday afternoon, when the wildfire, known as MWF-017, reached 200 hectares. A same warning applies to Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates, Saprae Creek, and the Fort McMurray First Nation.
“If you live in an area not subject to these evacuation orders, please allow these communities to evacuate first.” “It’s critical that we approach this in a safe, orderly, and respectful manner,” said Jody Butz, the RMWB’s regional fire chief and emergency director, at a press conference.
“It’s critical for me to understand that this fire activity is completely different from the 2016 Horse River wildfire. We have a plethora of resources and are well positioned to handle this crisis.”
Despite Butz’s warnings, many individuals from other communities clogged Highway 63 as they rushed to evacuate Fort McMurray. The Wood Buffalo RCMP stopped the route between route 881 and Highway 69, limiting transportation to persons in evacuation zones.
It will take awhile for emergency personnel to determine the real number of people that evacuated Fort McMurray.
High Winds Fueling the Fire
Butz stated at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he is sure that no additional evacuation orders would be issued for the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region. He also stated that there are currently no signs that the wildfire would cross the Athabasca River.
Winds are moving the wildfire northeast toward Fort McMurray. Current forecasts indicate that winds will begin to carry the blaze west and northwest around 8 p.m. However, Butz also stated that the weather has shifted from beneficial to combative for firefighters fighting the wildfire.
“The previous days’ forecast was highly good. The favorable winds carried the fire and smoke away from the neighborhood. There were also projections for precipitation. That has changed, and they are factors over which we have no influence,” Butz explained.
Butz expressed “a high, high level of confidence” that firefighters will succeed in keeping the wildfire away of Fort McMurray. Butz mentioned benefits that firemen now have that did not exist in 2016, during the press conference, earlier interviews, and a council meeting.
There are less fuel sources for the fire because the 2016 Horse River wildfire burnt through dead and dry vegetation that had accumulated over time. The fire is now burning through dead grass and burned trees from 2016.
In the past eight years, wildfire combat strategies and methods have also improved. In comparison to 2016, there are more fire guards closer to Fort McMurray and more workers fighting the blaze.
Many emergency management leaders are veterans of the 2016 wildfire. People also have more experience dealing with evacuations.
“This fire is much different than 2016,” Butz added, expressing hope that reentry will be “quite quick.” “We are far more prepared and we have definitely reduced the impact of welfare on our communities.”
The Fort McMurray municipality advises people to:
- Follow rmwb.ca/alerts for evacuation information
- Be aware and stay informed by following official and trusted channels such as alberta.ca/wildfire-status
- Download the Alberta Emergency Alerts App
- Check road updates at 511.alberta.ca
- Follow local media sources
- Arrange with neighbours to advise one another of an emergency notification
- Prepare an emergency kit for your household
- Make an emergency plan for your household
- Evacuees should register online. Anyone needing accommodation or support should report to the Parkland One registration centre in Lac La Biche.
Wildfires in Fort Nelson BC Expands to 17 Square Miles Forcing Evacuations
Wildfires in Fort Nelson BC Expands to 17 Square Miles Forcing Evacuations
News
Jimmie Johnson To Attempt His Own Version Of Indy 500 & NASCAR Doubleheader
Indianapolis — Jimmie Johnson will attempt his version of “The Double” by becoming the first driver to join the Indianapolis 500 broadcast crew hours before competing in NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600.
Jimmie, who will race in the Indy 500 in 2022, worked in the NBC Sports broadcast booth in 2021, when he only competed on the road and street circuits on the IndyCar season. He added ovals to his second and final season of American open-wheel racing.
Jimmie Johnson To Attempt His Own Version Of Indy 500 & NASCAR Doubleheader
Jimmie will join NBC’s broadcast team for the May 26 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the network said on Tuesday. This will be Jimmie’s first regular analyst opportunity with the network this year.
“To have the opportunity to experience ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ once again is such an honor,” Jimmie stated. “Being a member of the NBC broadcast team in 2021 just increased my desire to make my childhood dream of competing in the Indianapolis 500 a reality. Competing in this event as a driver was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so being able to relive the pageantry is quite special.”
Jimmie will fly to Charlotte, North Carolina, following the Indy 500 to compete in NASCAR’s longest race. The Hall of Famer won the Coca-Cola 600 four times during his full-time NASCAR career. Johnson now races a limited schedule as a co-owner of Legacy Motor Club.
Jimmie Johnson To Attempt His Own Version Of Indy 500 & NASCAR Doubleheader
Johnson will also be an analyst for NBC later this season at NASCAR events in Daytona and Talladega, as well as races in which he is scheduled to compete.
“Any time you can add one of the greatest drivers of all time and an icon of the sport, you jump at the opportunity,” said Sam Flood, NBC Sports’ motorsports lead producer. “We are thrilled to be working with Jimmie and adding his unique perspective on every race he covers, as well as having him become the first person ever to do the ‘Double’ — history awaits.”
Jimmie Johnson To Attempt His Own Version Of Indy 500 & NASCAR Doubleheader
SOURCE – (AP)
-
Sports5 months ago
Saints’ Aggressive Play-Calling Ends Up Coming Back To Hurt Them In Loss To Rams
-
Business5 months ago
Nike Says It Will Cut $2 Billion In Costs In A Major Warning For Consumers
-
Business5 months ago
Federal Court Revives Lawsuit Against Nirvana Over 1991 ‘Nevermind’ Naked Baby Album Cover
-
News5 months ago
The Rise of Woke Ideology in Western Culture
-
Business5 months ago
Wayfair CEO: Employees Need To Work Longer Hours, After Laying Off 5% Off The Company
-
Sports5 months ago
StreamEast Live Sports Streaming: The Ultimate Guide