100 firefighters at the Somerset House in London; cause of the huge fire still unknown

100 firefighters were on the scene at the Somerset House in central London, where a large fire broke out on Saturday, August 17. 

Worrying videos of London´s iconic landmark were shared on social media, showing the Somerset House surrounded by dark smoke. 15 fire engineers and 100 firefighters came to the scene to cease the fire. LFB (London Fire Brigade) received the first alarm call at 11.59pm, with the origin of the fire still unknown.

The LFB stated; “Crews are tackling flames located in the part of the roof of the building. Two of the Brigade’s 32m ladders have been sent to the scene to support firefighting operations.” A warning was issued to motorists, mentioning a traffic disruption due to ongoing firefighting operations. Crews from Soho, Dowgate, Islington, and surrounding fire stations are currently battling the fire.

“The cause of the fire is not yet known,” stated the LFB. Somerset House authorities, on their part, stated on their social media; “Owing to a fire in one small part of Somerset House, the site is currently closed. London Battle and other events today will not take place. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

Originally the property of the Duke of Somerset in 1547, Somerset House was once a Tudor palace and is today, used as an arts venue related to one the world´s greatest museums, The Courtauld Gallery. Memorable works by artists including Vincent Van Gogh, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne are part of the iconic Courtauld collection. On the day of the fire, the House was anticipating a breakdancing event which had to be postponed due to the unprecedented fire.