The cause of the fire remains unknown, according to authorities. The entire site was closed to the public and traffic in the surrounding area is expected to be impacted.
ADVERTISEMENTMore than 100 firefighters were called on to tackle a blaze which broke out at London’s Somerset House on Saturday.
A pillar of smoke could be seen billowing from the large neoclassical building used as an arts centre as flames blazed from the roof.
15 fire engines were deployed to extinguish the fire, according to the London Fire Brigade.
The cause is not yet known, but the Fire Brigade reportedly received the first call about the fire at 11:59 am local time on Saturday.
A spokesperson said: “Crews are tackling flames located in part of the buildings roof. Two of the Brigade’s 32m ladders have been sent to the scene to support firefighting operations.”
The entire site at Somerset House was closed to the public, the spokesperson said, and traffic in the surrounding area is also expected to be impacted.
Somerset House was due to host a day of breakdancing on Saturday, but has been closed due to the fire.
“All staff and public are safe and the site is closed,” the historic arts centre said in a statement. “The London Fire Brigade arrived swiftly and we’re working very closely with them to control the spread of the fire.”
Videos posted on social media showed smoke rising into the air and over the English capital.