Around 125 firefighters tackled a blaze at Somerset House over the weekend that has left part of the historic arts venue closed to the public. The 18th-century building is one of the U.K.’s greatest cultural assets and an important venue for art fairs, temporary exhibitions, and artist’s studios, as well as The Courtauld’s prestigious collection of world-renowned masterpieces like Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère.

The fire broke out just before midday on Saturday, August 17, and 150 staff and visitors were evacuated. It was brought under control by 7 p.m., with no reported injuries or damage to artworks. A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade (LFB) confirmed today that the cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Somerset House is arranged around a large central courtyard, and the fire was limited to the building’s West Wing. This part of the building does not house any artworks and is predominantly composed of rooms that are available to hire for events, showcases, and exhibitions.

The Courtauld, which has inhabited the building’s North Wing since 1989, was unaffected by the fire and reopened to the public on Sunday. All other wings are closed to the public until further notice, but Somerset House said today that it plans to reopen “as soon as possible.”

Viewed from Waterloo Bridge, smoke is seen rising into the sky from a fire located in the roof of Somerset House beside the River Thames in London on August 17, 2024. Photo: James Rybacki/ AFP via Getty Images.

Earlier this year, Somerset House hosted Photo London and, during Frieze Week this October, it will be the venue for 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Both of these events have historically made use of the West Wing, as well as other parts of the building complex.

Somerset House did not respond to a request for an update on whether the fire is expected to affect future programming.

The New Wing, just next door to the West Wing, houses Somerset House Studios, which provides workspaces for artists and other creatives. The South Wing is home to the Embankment Galleries, which are used for temporary exhibitions like last spring’s “CUTE.”

“The fire was located in part of the building’s roof space,” said the LFB’s assistant commissioner Keeley Foster. “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-meter [210-foot] 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.”

“It’s too early to comment on the building’s condition,” said Somerset House’s director Jonathan Reekie at a press conference on Saturday, according to the BBC. He confirmed that nobody had been injured by the fire and that all valuable artifacts and artworks were safe. A spokesperson for Somerset House confirmed today that the damage was limited to the West Wing.