About 125 firefighters tackled a blaze at Somerset House in central London on Saturday.
A pillar of smoke billowed from the roof of the Grade I-listed building on the Strand. London fire brigade (LFB) received its first call about the fire at 11.59am and sent 20 fire engines to the scene.
Slightly disturbed by the amount of smoke currently pouring out of the roof of Somerset House… pic.twitter.com/GqeJflO9pg
— Michelle Birkby/Emma Butler (@michelleeb) August 17, 2024
The LFB added that “around 125” firefighters were at the scene, with crews from Soho, Dowgate, Islington and surrounding fire stations attending.
There were no reported injuries. On Saturday evening, the LFB said the flames were now under control after part of the third floor and the roof were alight.
Crews were set to remain at the scene until Sunday to carry out further operations.
The cause of the fire at the building, opened in 1796, is not yet known and is being investigated.
LFB assistant commissioner Keeley Foster said: “The fire was located in part of the building’s roof space.
“The age and design of the building proved a challenge for crews as they initially responded.
“As a result, four of the brigade’s aerial ladders, including a 64-metre turntable ladder, were deployed to support firefighters as they carried out a complex and technical response. This included creating fire breaks in the roof, which has now limited the spread of flames.
“A number of staff and visitors left Somerset House before the brigade arrived and there are no reports of any injuries.
“Crews have been working incredibly hard through the very hot weather and heat of the fire to protect Somerset House from further damage.”
Parts of the venue will remain closed to the public “until further notice” but the Courtauld Gallery will reopen on Sunday, a spokesperson said.
Earlier, Somerset House posted on social media that all staff and public were safe after the fire broke out in “one small part of the building”.
“The site is closed,” the post said. “The London fire brigade arrived swiftly and we’re working very closely with them to control the spread of the fire.”
Somerset House is currently closed due to a fire which has broken out in one small part of the building.
— Somerset House (@SomersetHouse) August 17, 2024
All staff and public are safe and the site is closed. The London Fire Brigade arrived swiftly and we’re working very closely with them to control the spread of the fire.
The building houses the Courtauld Gallery, an extensive art collection of paintings ranging from the Renaissance through to the 20th century. Among its most famed pieces are Édouard Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère and Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear.
The director of Somerset House Trust said the fire broke out in the west wing of the building and there were “no artworks in that area”.
Jonathan Reekie said: “What I can confirm is that a fire was spotted at about midday in one corner of west wing; the site was immediately evacuated and the London fire brigade called, who arrived very quickly indeed.
“Everybody is safe and for now we want to let the London fire brigade get on and do their brilliant work.
“The west wing is mainly offices and back-of-house facilities, there are no artworks in that area.”
Dr Joe Kelly was working on the seventh floor of the Strand building next door when his friend sent him a photograph of the blaze. The 26-year-old physicist then looked out of his window to see clouds of smoke.
“Smoke was billowing out of the corner of Somerset House, which was a little bit terrifying,” he said. “It looked a bit like a scene from a film.”
Kelly added that he could smell the smoke from inside his building, since the windows are usually left open.
“It’s a very distinctly campfire sort of smell, that was the first thing that tipped us off to it,” he said.
“They got hoses on it really quickly and I think the response has been very quick.
“As far as I can tell, no one was harmed and it doesn’t look like there has been a lot of damage.”
The trust is a registered charity established in 1997 “to enhance the education of the public by the provision of a centre for the arts and to maintain the buildings for the benefit of the local and international community as an example of English national heritage”, according to the Charity Commission.
Alan Robinson, 71, a Catholic priest who works nearby and lives in Covent Garden, told PA Media that he was worried about the Courtauld Gallery’s “irreplaceable” art collection.
“I have no idea what the value of the collection is, but it’s millions [of pounds] – irreplaceable stuff,” he said.
A break-dancing event scheduled to be held at the venue was cancelled due to the blaze.
The London Battle had been set to run from 2pm to 8.30pm, to celebrate the sport’s Olympic debut in Paris.
