Yellow Haze
Some witnesses claimed to have seen a yellow haze materializing over the cathedral as the fire blazed on. Some experts disagreed with the original analysis and insisted that the fire did actually exceed temperatures needed for lead to combine with oxygen. That means that some toxic material would have definitely made its way around the air of the city.
Contaminated Air
If that were the case, just how fat could this toxic material travel? For weeks, authorities did not test the surrounding neighborhoods. When they finally did, they found that several schools contained concerning levels of lead. Even some other areas, recreational ones included, came back with readings of over 60 times the recommended amount.