TIMELINE: Notre Dame Cathedral fire progression captured in videos posted to social media

It started five minutes after closing time. Shortly thereafter, thick smoke and flames were leaping off Notre Dame Cathedral into the Paris sky and it was all captured in real-time on social media.

PARIS -- It started at 6:50 p.m. Paris time, just five minutes after Notre Dame Cathedral closed for the day. Within a matter of minutes, thick smoke and flames were leaping into the sky.

An hour into the blaze, the cathedral's iconic spire toppled.

And it was all captured in real-time on social media by hundreds of horrified Parisians and tourists.

Watch the video above for a look at the most compelling videos. We've put them in sequential order, from the time they were posted on social media, to create a complete picture of how quickly the fire spread through the iconic building.

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