CNN
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A fire at London’s historic Somerset House on Saturday required around 125 firefighters to bring it under control, the London Fire Brigade said.
Columns of smoke were seen rising from the roof of the building in central London, as firefighters worked with a crane to extinguish the flames.
The building was once the headquarters of the Royal Navy, but is now used as a cultural centre. An exhibition within the complex includes a self-portrait of Vincent van Gogh with a bandaged ear.
Somerset House director Jonathan Rickie told PA Media the fire broke out in the west wing of the building, where offices and backroom facilities are located. “There are no artworks in that area,” Rickie was quoted as saying by PA Media.
About 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines were deployed to Somerset House, according to the London Fire Brigade.
The fire department said in a statement that firefighters battled flames on part of the building’s roof using two 32-metre fire ladders. It added that firefighters were called shortly before noon and were able to control the blaze shortly before 7 p.m. local time, adding that the firefighters were called shortly before noon.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, and Somerset House has been closed to the public, the statement said.
The complex was first built in the 16th century, although it was demolished and rebuilt in the 18th century.
The house takes its name from Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, who built it as a palace for himself in 1547. The duke was executed in the Tower of London a few years later, and ownership of his palace passed to the Crown.
In 1604, the Treaty of London was signed inside the building, ending the 19-year Anglo-Spanish War. The building later served as the headquarters of the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War, and narrowly escaped being burned down in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Somerset House is now a venue for creative events and exhibitions. It is home to the Cortauld Gallery, which has works by Manet, Van Gogh and Monet in its collection. Kings College London also houses the Faculty of Law in the east wing of the complex.
It has served as a versatile filming location and can be seen in the backdrops of films and TV shows such as “Downton Abbey,” “Love Actually” and “X Men: First Class.”
On Saturday, she said a dance battle was due to take place in the building’s open-air courtyard, with “a day of dance and dance performances, workshops, a live DJ and a big outdoor party, all culminating in a head-to-head dance battle between the four corners of London”.
“All staff and members of the public are safe and the site is closed,” Somerset House said in a statement on its website.
London Fire Brigade said its crews would remain at the scene until Sunday.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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