UK: Artworks safe after fire at London's Somerset House

Firefighters rushed to tackle a fire ripping through the roof of the United Kingdom's historic Somerset House next to the River Thames in London on Saturday.

The arts venue, originally built in 1547 and reconstructed 250 years ago, contains priceless works by Monet, Cezanne and Van Gogh.

Firefighters later said that the fire had been contained.

"The fire at #SomersetHouse is now under control and investigations into the cause will begin," the cv"The fire at #SomersetHouse is now under control and investigations into the cause will begin," the London Fire Brigade posted on social media site X, formerly Twitter.

What do we know so far?

The Somerset House Trust, which manages the property, said the fire broke out about midday local time (11:00 UTC/GMT) in a corner of the west wing of the former stately home.

Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, described the west wing as "mainly offices and back-of-house facilities," adding that there were no artworks in that area of the building.

Footage showed thick plumes of smoke rising above the building, which stretches for around 180 meters (590 feet) along the banks of the River Thames. 

London's Fire Brigade wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that "20 fire engines and around 125 firefighters are now responding to the fire."

"Crews are continuing to work at bringing the fire in the buildings' roof under control," it added.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, according to London authorities. No injuries were reported.

"The fire was located in part of the building’s roof space," London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Keeley Foster said in a statement.

Foster explained how fire crews struggled with the age and design of the building.

She said her crews had created fire breaks in the roof, which she said had limited the spread of flames.

"Crews are now working to extinguish the final pockets of fire," Foster added.

A spokesperson later said that the complex would remain closed "until further notice" as investigations into the fire continued.

What is Somerset House?

Somerset House is a large Renaissance-era complex situated on the south side of the Strand in central London.

Queen Elizabeth I is among the former stately home's previous residents. She lived there from the age of 20 before she became queen in 1558, according to the venue's website.

After being neglected, the original building was demolished but was rebuilt in the late 1700s and has been extended several times since.

The complex now serves as a venue for various arts and education-related organizations, including the Courtauld Gallery which features works such as Vincent Van Gogh's "Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear" and "The Descent From The Cross" by Peter Paul Rubens.

Works by Edouard Manet, Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne are also on display.

The complex has been depicted in multiple James Bond films and is sometimes used to host concerts. 

The venue had been scheduled to host a breakdancing event on Saturday to celebrate the sport's debut at the Paris Olympics, but it was canceled.  

mm, jsi/wd (Reuters, AFP)