Somerset House remains closed after fire in west wing

London’s Somerset House is closed until further notice after a fire broke out in the west wing of the building on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the cultural complex, which overlooks the Strand in central London, said it was too early to comment on the damage caused by the blaze, which was attended by around 125 firefighters.

The fire broke out in a part of the building mostly used for offices and storage. Images posted on social media show damage to the building's roof.

The London Fire Brigade was called to the scene at midday and reported that the blaze was under control by Saturday evening.

Somerset House has confirmed that no one was injured and no artworks or cultural objects were damaged in the blaze.

The Courtauld Gallery, which is housed within the building complex, says it was unaffected by the fire. The gallery reopened on Sunday.

London Fire Brigade's assistant commissioner Keeley Foster said: “The fire was located in part of the building’s roof space.

“The age and design of the building proved a challenge for crews as they initially responded.

“As a result, four of the brigade’s aerial ladders, including a 64-metre turntable ladder, were deployed to support firefighters as they carried out a complex and technical response. This included creating fire breaks in the roof, which has now limited the spread of flames.

“A number of staff and visitors left Somerset House before the brigade arrived and there are no reports of any injuries.

“Crews have been working incredibly hard through the very hot weather and heat of the fire to protect Somerset House from further damage.”

A spokesperson for Somerset House said: “We would like to express our sincerest thanks to the emergency services, our staff, and our visitors, who all acted so swiftly and diligently...

"We truly appreciate all the messages of support which have shown just how well-loved Somerset House is as a cultural space with its unrivalled community of artists, makers, and creative startups, and as a beautiful historic building and home of the Courtauld.

“It is too early to comment in detail on the damage to the building, but we can confirm it’s limited to one part of the building in the West Wing and we will continue to support the London Fire Brigade with their investigations into the cause.

“While we remain closed, we hope to return to the Somerset House cultural programme and reopen our creative workspaces as soon as possible and will be sharing updates via our official channels.”