London’s Somerset Home narrowly prevented “full catastrophe” on the dimensions of the Notre Dame blaze when it caught hearth final week, its director has mentioned.
About 125 firefighters and 20 hearth engines attended the hearth on the arts venue on the Strand on 17 August, which broken the roof and a part of the complicated’s west wing.
Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset Home Belief, mentioned it was because of “actually quick-thinking employees” and the “superb” response of London Fireplace Brigade that the hearth was shortly put out.
No-one was injured and the venue has begun a “phased reopening” this weekend.
Somerset Home hosted vogue exhibition The Lore of Loverboy and open-air voguing present The Mighty Crown Ball on Saturday.
Mr Reekie warned reconstruction work may take years, however was grateful the injury had not been worse.
“I believe I can say that if that fireplace hadn’t been noticed and tackled as shortly because it was by the extraordinary emergency providers, this might have been a whole catastrophe,” he mentioned.
“Very fortunately, it did not change into a sort of Notre Dame or Glasgow College of Artwork.”
A fireplace engulfed the historic cathedral in Paris in 2019, toppling its spire and destroying most of its roof, whereas blazes badly broken the Scottish artwork faculty’s Waterproof coat Constructing in 2014 and 2018.
London Fireplace Brigade is investigating the reason for the hearth at Somerset Home.
Queen Elizabeth I is among the many former stately dwelling’s earlier residents, having lived there from the age of 20 earlier than she grew to become queen in 1558, based on Somerset Home’s web site.
Priceless art work held within the web site’s Courtauld Gallery, together with works by Van Gogh, Monet and Cezanne, was “unaffected” by the blaze and it is because of reopen to the general public on Sunday.
Mr Reekie added a lot of the venue’s amenities and occasions would resume as regular inside “a couple of extra days” however reconstruction would take for much longer.
“We targeted on tips on how to get the constructing again on its ft, tips on how to get folks again into the constructing,” he mentioned.
“I believe when it comes to the vast majority of what we do, we’re speaking about a couple of extra days.
“After all the reconstruction shall be months, if not years.”
The constructing is used as an arts and occasions venue and can also be dwelling to quite a lot of artists, makers and inventive companies who use the complicated’s workspaces and studios.
