The fire broke out around midday in the west wing of Somerset House, primarily used for offices and back-of-house facilities, where no artworks were located.
London Fire Brigade responded with 20 fire engines and approximately 125 firefighters. Crews faced challenges due to the age and design of Somerset House.
Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, confirmed that there were no injuries and no damage to priceless artworks by famous artists during the incident.
Assistant Commissioner Keeley Foster noted that fire crews created fire breaks in the roof, which effectively limited the spread of flames during the firefighting efforts.
[
Collection
]
[
|
...
]