\n
![](\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/img-assets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1081360176-e1724064414601.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/p>\n [ad_1]
\n<\/p>\n
Priceless artworks housed in London\u2019s Somerset House, including paintings by Van Gogh and Monet, were unaffected by a fire that erupted at the historic building on Saturday, according to the gallery.<\/p>\n
Around 125 firefighters and 20 engines worked to tamp out the flames that ripped through the roof of the western wing, bringing the blaze at the more than 450-year-old site under control before 7:00 pm (1800 GMT).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fire at #SomersetHouse is now under control and investigations into the cause will begin,\u201d the London Fire Brigade posted on social media site X.<\/p>\n
The neoclassical cultural complex stretching along the Thames River was meant to be hosting a breakdancing competition on Saturday when a column of smoke began wafting above the centre, prompting dozens of calls to the fire department.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fire was located in part of the building\u2019s roof space,\u201d London Fire Brigade\u2019s Assistant Commissioner Keeley Foster told reporters from outside the landmark, according to a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe age and design of the building proved a challenge for crews as they initially responded.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were no reports of injuries as staff and visitors had left the building by the time fire crews arrived, the brigade added.<\/p>\n
Home to Queen Elizabeth I before she was crowned in 1558 and to Anne of Denmark, Somerset House said in a notice on its website that it \u201cwill remain closed until further notice\u201d.<\/p>\n
The landmark cultural complex in the heart of London hosts a range of creative businesses and arts spaces, including the Courtauld Gallery, which counts Vincent van Gogh\u2019s \u201cSelf-Portrait with Bandaged Ear\u201d among the masterpieces in its collection.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Courtauld Gallery has not been directly impacted by the fire and it will remain open,\u201d the Somerset House statement said.<\/p>\n
Footage taken from central London showed thick plumes of smoke rising above the building, which stretches for around 180 metres along the banks of the River Thames.<\/p>\n
The courtyard of the grand building hosts music gigs in the summer and a popular ice rink in the winter, appearing in the 2003 film \u201cLove Actually\u201d.<\/p>\n
It also appeared in the 2008 movie \u201cThe Duchess\u201d, starring\u00a0Keira Knightley\u00a0and\u00a0Ralph Fiennes, as well as Tim Burton\u2019s 1999\u00a0horror movie\u00a0\u201cSleepy Hollow\u201d and two\u00a0James Bond\u00a0films.<\/p>\n
\u201cCrews have been working incredibly hard through the very hot weather and heat of the fire to protect Somerset House from further damage,\u201d Assistant Commissioner Foster said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCrews will remain on scene into tomorrow, carrying out further operations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n