In the center of London, firefighters intervene in the fire of the neoclassical palace Somerset House, they got it under control on Saturday evening. There were approximately 125 on site with twenty cars, some will remain until Sunday. The cause of the fire is still unknown. No injuries were reported, according to police. The palace functions as an art center, including a gallery.
The intervention lasted from 11:59 to 18:51 local time (from 12:59 to 19:51 CET) and was attended by 125 firefighters with twenty vehicles, they stated firefighters on site. The cause of the fire is still unknown, according to Acting Commissioner Keeley Foster, an investigation will begin immediately.
“Crews worked incredibly hard in very hot weather and in the heat of the fire to protect Somerset House from further damage,” Ms Foster said. “The fire was located in part of the roof area of the building. Due to the age and construction of the building, the initial intervention was difficult for the crews,” she added, adding that as a result, firefighters deployed four ladders, including one revolving one, which is 64 meters.
The director of the organization that manages the building told the BBC that the fire broke out in the west wing of the palace, where no works of art are located. “There are mainly offices and operating rooms,” said Ivan Kytka, a CT employee in Great Britain.
If the fire started in the attic, according to Kytka, the cause could have been a technical fault. “It certainly wasn’t due to the heat, it’s been twenty-three, twenty-four degrees here for the last few days,” he added.
Among other things, the palace is home to an art center where the breakdance day was supposed to take place on Saturday. “Somerset House is currently closed due to a fire which has broken out in one small part of the building. All employees and the public are safe and the campus is closed,” said an official before three o’clock in the afternoon profile complex on the X network.
“Of course, the palace remains closed, all events for the whole weekend have been cancelled,” explained Kytka.
A favorite of filmmakers
Videos on social media showed gray smoke rising from the roof of the building into the air over the Thames and nearby Waterloo Bridge. According to the BBC, plumes of smoke could be seen from afar.
Somerset House is situated on the banks of the Thames on the south side of the Strand in the borough of Westminster. The main neoclassical part of the building dates from 1776 to 1796 and was designed by architect William Chambers. Victorian wings were added later. It is also a popular filming location. For example, Budova starred in two Bond films, Zlaté oko from 1995 and Tomorrow Never Dies from 1997.
