London fire: Priceless artworks confirmed safe as blaze rips through Somerset House

Around 125 firefighters were called to tackle a blaze raging for over four hours at London’s famous Somerset House on Saturday, 17 August.

Somerset House Trust director Jonathan Reekie confirmed that the fire broke out in the west wing of the building, which is mainly comprised of offices.

The Courtauld Gallery, located in the north wing, is home to a collection of famous paintings including Vincent Van Gogh, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne.

Mr Reekie told reporters: “What I can confirm is that a fire was spotted at about midday in one corner of west wing.”

When questioned about the safety of the priceless paintings, Mr Reekie confirmed that “there are no artworks in that area.”