SOMERSET House has been closed “until further notice” while officers investigate the cause of the fire at the London landmark.
Some 125 firefighters rushed to the scene as footage captured thick plumes of smoke billowing from the roof of the iconic building this afternoon.
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Smoke billowing from Somerset House in London this afternoonCredit: The Sun
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Aerial ladder used to fight fire Credit: Getty
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Firefighters on scene Credit: Darren Fletcher
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Exhausted Firefighter Credit: Darren Fletcher
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15 fire engines arrived at the sceneCredit: Joseph Palmer
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Somerset House in London on fire Credit: Twitter
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Smoke rises from landmarks along the river Credit: Twitter
Twenty fire engines raced to the Strand to tackle the blaze on part of the building’s roof, which broke out around midday.
Two 32-metre ladders from the London Fire Brigade were also sent to the scene.
The video shows firefighters throwing water from the top of one of the ladders onto the roof of the building.
Crew members remained at the scene around 6 p.m. “working to extinguish the last pockets of fire.”
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A spokesman for the landmark building said tonight that an investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire.
Somerset House is a large Georgian building that houses the Courtauld Gallery, one of London’s largest art collections.
The Courtauld boasts works by great artists, including Vincent van Gogh.
No one is believed to be inside Somerset House at the moment and there are no reports of injuries, Scotland Yard said.
Officers were called at 12.25pm and joined firefighters at the building near Waterloo Bridge.
The LFB control room received the first of ten calls reporting the fire shortly before noon.
Crews rushed to the scene from as far away as Soho in the West End, Islington in north London and Dowgate in the City.
Traffic is building up on the roads around Somerset House, including the Strand.
In a statement, the LFB spokesperson said that the cause of the fire is not yet known.
Somerset House said: “Due to a fire in a small area of Somerset House, the venue is currently closed.
“All staff and members of the public are safe and the site has been cordoned off. The London Fire Brigade arrived quickly.
“We are working closely with them to control the spread of the fire.
“The Battle of London and other events will not take place today. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Somerset House’s fountains have been turned off for the past few days due to works.
But work on the fountain pumps is not currently believed to be connected to today’s fire.
More to come… Keep checking The Sun Online for the latest on this story
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