A blaze that broke out at London’s historic Somerset House on Saturday required around 125 firefighters to bring it under control, according to the London Fire Brigade.
Somerset House Trust director Jonathan Reekie told Britain’s PA Media that the fire broke out in the west wing of the building, where offices and back-of-house facilities are located.
Around 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines were deployed to Somerset House, according to the London Fire Brigade.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, the statement said, and Somerset House has been closed to the public.
Somerset House is now the host of creative events and exhibitions.
The London Fire Brigade reports that approximately 125 firefighters were needed to put out a fire that started at London’s historic Somerset House on Saturday.
Firefighters were using a crane to put out the fire on top of the building, and smoke could be seen rising over central London.
Currently a cultural center, the building was formerly home to the Royal Navy. The self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh with his bandaged ear is kept in a gallery within the complex.
The west wing of the structure, which houses the back-of-house operations and offices, is where the fire originated, according to director of Somerset House Trust Jonathan Reekie, who spoke with Britain’s PA Media. According to PA Media, Reekie stated that there are “no artworks in that area.”.
As per the London Fire Brigade, about twenty fire engines and 125 firefighters were sent to Somerset House.
According to a statement from the fire department, the crews used two of their 32-meter (nearly 105-foot) ladders to battle flames that were inside a portion of the building’s roof. According to the report, the fire was contained by just before 7 p.m. after the brigade was contacted just before midday. M. Local time.
The statement stated that Somerset House has been closed to the public and that the cause of the fire is currently unknown.
The complex was initially constructed in the 1500s, but in the 1700s it was destroyed and rebuilt.
Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, erected the mansion as a palace for himself in 1547, and that is how the house got its name. A few years later, the Duke was put to death at the Tower in London, and the Crown became the new owner of his palace.
Within the structure, the 19-year Anglo-Spanish War came to an end in 1604, with the signing of the Treaty of London. It later functioned as the parliamentary army’s headquarters during the English Civil War and barely avoided destruction during the Great Fire of London in 1666.
These days, creative exhibitions and events are held at Somerset House. The Cortauld Gallery, which houses pieces by Manet, Van Gogh, and Monet, is located there. The east wing of the complex houses the law school of Kings College London.
It has been used as a flexible shooting site for movies and television series, including X Men: First Class, Love Actually, and Downton Abbey. ‘.
It stated that a dance battle with “a day of dance and breaking showcases, workshops, live DJs and a big outdoor party, all culminating in a head-to-head dance battle between the four corners of London” was scheduled to take place in the building’s outdoor courtyard on Saturday. “.
Somerset House posted on its website, “All staff and public are safe and the site is closed.”.
Crews from the London Fire Brigade said they would be at the scene through Sunday.
Further details have been added to this story.
