Firefighters were working Saturday to “extinguish the last flames” of a fire on the roof of Somerset House, an arts centre in central London, which has closed its doors and has so far reported no injuries. Some 25 fire engines and around 125 firefighters were deployed to the blaze, the London Fire Brigade reported on X (ex-Twitter). Earlier in the afternoon, the London art centre reported on the same network that the building had closed its doors while the firefighters were working, and that “all staff and members of the public are safe”. Videos posted on social media showed a thick cloud of smoke billowing from the roof of the museum, a historic building dating from 1796 located on the banks of the Thames. “Two 32-metre ladders have been sent to the scene to support the operations,” said the firefighters, who said they received the first alert around 12:00 (11:00 GMT). “The cause of the fire is not yet known,” and traffic around the centre will be “disrupted” while the intervention is carried out, they warned. “Somerset House is currently closed due to a fire that has broken out in a small part of the building. All staff and members of the public are safe,” the centre said on X. “London Fire Brigade arrived quickly and we are working closely with them to control the spread of the fire,” it said added. Somerset House Foundation director Jonathan Reekie told PA that the fire broke out in the west wing of the building, which is mainly used for offices and does not house “any artwork”. In the centre's north wing, the Courtauld Gallery contains a collection of famous paintings by Vincent Van Gogh – the 1889 self-portrait with bandaged ear -, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne. The building, whose courtyard is used as an ice rink in winter, has been made famous by several films shot there, including “Love Actually” (2003), two James Bond films and Tim Burton's “Sleepy Hollow” (1999). He was to host a breakdance event called “London Battle” on Saturday. All reproduction and representation rights reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse
By Teilor Stone
Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116