The bells were of special concern during the 15 April 2019 fire. As the flames spread along the roof towards the towers, a southerly wind was threatening the north tower. Firefighters feared that if the wooden belfry inside caught fire, the falling bells might act as wrecking balls and cause the entire tower to collapse, possibly bringing the rest of the cathedral down with it. While the fire did spread to the north tower, it was quickly extinguished by a team of firefighters who ascended the towers. In the end, the main bells were saved, but the six smaller bells over the crossing were destroyed. A short circuit of the spire bells' electric ringing mechanism has been cited as one of several possible causes of the fire.