Priceless paintings by Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, and others were unharmed in a fire that broke out at Somerset House, a central London arts venue. Firefighters were able to knock down the flames that erupted in the roof of the historic building using ladder trucks and water buckets. The firefighters worked to extinguish the final pockets of flames, and the cause of the fire was under investigation. Fortunately, staff and the public were safe, and the artworks were not in the area of the fire.
The fire started in one corner of the west wing, which mainly housed offices and back-of-house facilities with no artworks. The complex and technical response required the use of a 205-foot ladder and fire breaks in the roof to limit the spread of flames. The Courtauld Gallery, which features works by Van Gogh and Rubens, was on the opposite side of the complex and scheduled to reopen the next day.
Somerset House, reconstructed nearly 250 years ago after the original palace was demolished, had a significant historical background. The original palace was built in 1547 by Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, and later housed Queen Elizabeth I. Despite the fire, the building’s structure remained intact, and the artworks were safe from harm.
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