DESCRIPTION:
A building on historic rue de la Huchette in the Latin Quarter caught fire in the early a.m. on Feb. 1, 2015, starting the month with a dramatic scene where eight people were in danger of losing their lives. The Paris fire fighters risked their own lives to get these victims out safely and in one piece...

By very good luck the wind was blowing in the right direction to allow these people to breathe fairly fresh air, or they might all have perished.

It's a 17th century building, in which wooden stairways and walls covered with centuries of oil paint go up like incendiary bombs when touched by fire. Fortunately, all inhabitants survived, though seven of them were treated for smoke inhalation problems... hats off to the Paris firemen!