As Notre Dame burns, the world is watching a cultural tragedy enfold in real time.

“They are losing the 850 years of craft and building fabric that told all of those stories,” said James Shepherd, the director of preservation and facilities at the National Cathedral in D.C. “If you remember, medieval churches were really built to tell stories in their building fabric before people could read. People came there to see stories of their religion.”

France’s Gothic cathedral has been in the midst of an extensive renovation, though it’s unclear yet if it is linked to the massive blaze that left many Parisians weeping in the street.

Like Notre Dame, scaffolding has also graced the National Cathedral for years, as stonemasons and construction workers continue to repair major damage from the 2011 earthquake. That work has included fixing cracks in dozens of flying buttresses, recreating finials, and reassembling pinnacles.

But unlike the Gothic cathedral, the National Cathedral is a building borne of modern materials. Rather than an underlying wood structure, the National Cathedral was constructed out of steel, concrete, brick, and limestone, according to Shepherd. And, coincidentally, it is in the midst of a project to put in place additional fire protections.

The Episcopal church is in the first phase of a three-part “fire and life safety plan” that will cost about $3.4 million. Shepherd said it is possible that the work will be accelerated as a result of the Notre Dame fire.

“The public consciousness of this event will certainly help us to expedite and move forward with the remaining priorities,” he said on a call with media on Monday. 

Construction on the National Cathedral began in 1907 and was only completed in 1990—an 83-year period that saw significant changes in building codes. For example, the areas of the structure that see the highest occupancy were built more recently and have modern sprinkler systems, but 20 percent of the building still needs them.

“While we are more secure because of the nature of our construction materials, we are putting in place things like fire alarm systems, emergency lighting, and modern safety code systems,” Shepherd said. He also noted that the scaffolding in place right now is only being used to stabilize masonry rather than active construction work. 

The D.C fire department inspects the National Cathedral every two years. During the last one, inspectors found only minor issues that were corrected on site, according to Shepherd.

He suspects that one of the most challenging things for Notre Dame will be raising the funds necessary to repair such extraordinary damage.

“It is really challenging in this day and age to repair money for cathedrals like this,” Shepherd said, noting that eight years after the earthquake, the National Cathedral is still only halfway done. “[Notre Dame] struggled with resources just to do their renovation.”