Somerset House fire: Around 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines tackle blaze at London arts venue

In a new update issued minutes ago, London Fire Brigade said firefighters were continuing to work hard to bring the fire affecting part of the roof at Somerset House under control.

Motorists have been urged by the Metropolitan Police to avoid the roads surrounding Somerset House due to “significant disruption”

Scotland Yard said officers were assisting fire crew colleagues, adding: “There is significant disruption on surrounding roads. Please avoid the area.”

Constructed over the course of more than 25 years on the site of a palace formerly bearing the same name, the current Somerset House was completed in 1801, after which it was home to a multitude of public offices such as tax and registry offices, and institutions including the Royal Academy, Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries.

During the Second World War, it housed the vital Ministry of Supply and continued to be used as public offices before being repurposed as a public venue at the turn of the millennium.

The former palace, on which construction began in 1547, also had a rich history, having been used as a home to royalty, an army headquarters during the English Civil War, and the location at which the treaty to end the 19-year Anglo-Spanish War was negotiated and signed.

While swathes of the City of London was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, the palace – at that point named Denmark House – was spared, with the flames stopping just a short distance to the east.

A Courtauld Gallery security guard, who gave his name as Rafal K, said the firefighters’ work appeared to be finished.

He exited the cordon shortly before 3pm and told a reporter: “It’s still not clear to let people back in, but it looks like the action of the firemen is finished. I’m still waiting for the manager on the shift to bring people back in.

“It will be security [who go in] first and then members of the public who can get their belongings in their lockers.”

He said he believed the locker room was “untouched” by the fire.

The plumes of smoke that were still visible inside the courtyard shortly before 2pm appeared to have ceased. Firefighters were sitting in chairs overlooking Somerset House, wearing T-shirts with their kit at their feet.

The London Ambulance Service has asked people to avoid the area if they can and advised local businesses to keep windows and doors shut “due to the high volume of smoke”.

The director of Somerset House Trust said the fire broke out in the west wing of the building and there are “no artworks in that area”.

Jonathan Reekie, 59, has been director of the trust for 10 years and told the PA news agency: “What I can confirm is that a fire was spotted at about midday in one corner of west wing, the site was immediately evacuated and the London Fire Brigade called, who arrived very quickly indeed.

“Everybody is safe and for now we want to let the London Fire Brigade get on and do their brilliant work.

“The west wing is mainly offices and back-of-house facilities, there are no artworks in that area.”

Mr Reekie said he was not inside the building when the fire broke out.

A fire alarm was still sounding as he spoke on the edge of the cordon outside the Somerset House arches at about 2.30pm.

Passers-by were sat on chairs nearby eating their lunches and watching the scene.

The trust is a registered charity and the Charity Commission website says it was established in 1997 “to enhance the education of the public by the provision of a centre for the arts and to maintain the buildings for the benefit of the local and international community as an example of English national heritage”.

It added: “At its heart lies a creative community of innovative businesses and social enterprises which contribute to the vibrancy and energy of the site.”

Sky Garden visitors were able to see smoke billow into the air from Somerset House on Saturday.

A fire broke out on the art centre’s roof as 125 firefighters rushed to the scene

London Fire Brigade said 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines were now helping to tackle the Somerset House blaze.

Alan Robinson, 71, a Catholic priest who works nearby Somerset House and lives in Covent Garden, said he was worried about the “irreplaceable” art collection in the Courtauld Gallery.

The collection includes masterpieces ranging from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

He told the PA news agency: “The Courtauld Gallery is in there, I have no idea what the value of the collection is, but it’s millions (of pounds) – irreplaceable stuff.”

A large poster of Vincent Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear was displayed on the railings, which is listed as a part of the Courtauld collection on the gallery’s website.