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Fire breaks out in London’s Somerset House, home to works by Van Gogh, Monet
More than 125 firefighters worked to douse a fire Saturday that broke out at Somerset House, a large central London arts venue that contains priceless works by Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Vincent Van Gogh.
Heavy smoke and flames that could be seen coming from the roof around noon local time had died down a few hours later as firefighters poured water on it from the buckets on ladder trucks. It appeared from video footage that flames had burned a hole in the roof of the building located next to the River Thames.
The cause of the fire was not yet known, the London Fire Brigade said. There were no reported injuries.
Somerset House said staff and the public were safe and artworks were not in the area of the fire. The venue had been scheduled to host a breakdancing event.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Somerset House wrote that the site was currently closed because of the fire and that the “London Battle and other events today will not take place.”
“We apologise for any inconvenience,” the post said.
“A fire was spotted at about midday in one corner of the west wing, the site was immediately evacuated and the London Fire Brigade called, who arrived very quickly,” Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, said. “The west wing is mainly offices and back-of-house facilities, there are no artworks in that area.”
The fire was on the opposite side of the large complex from The Courtauld Gallery which features works such as Vincent Van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear” and “The Descent From The Cross” by Peter Paul Rubens.
The neoclassical building was reconstructed nearly 250 years ago after the original Somerset House was demolished after being neglected.
The original palace was built in 1547 by Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, who was later executed at the Tower of London.
Queen Elizabeth I lived in the palace as a princess for five years before ascending to the throne.
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Yellowstone hiker burned when she falls into scalding water near Old Faithful, park officials say
Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. — A New Hampshire woman suffered severe burns on her leg after hiking off-trail in Yellowstone National Park and falling into scalding water in a thermal area near the Old Faithful geyser, park officials said.
The 60-year-old woman from Windsor, New Hampshire, along with her husband and their leashed dog were walking off a designated trail near the Mallard Lake Trailhead on Monday afternoon when she broke through a thin crust over the water and suffered second- and third-degree burns to her lower leg, park officials said. Her husband and the dog weren’t injured.
The woman was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho for treatment.
Park visitors are reminded to stay on boardwalks and trails in hydrothermal areas and exercise extreme caution. The ground in those areas is fragile and thin and there’s scalding water just below the surface, park officials said.
Pets are allowed in limited, developed areas of Yellowstone park but are prohibited on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry and in thermal areas.
The incident is under investigation. The woman’s name wasn’t made public.
This is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2024, park officials said in a statement. The park had recorded 3.5 million visitors through August this year.
Hot springs have injured and killed more people in Yellowstone National Park than any other natural feature, the National Park Service said. At least 22 people have died from hot spring-related injuries in and around the 3,471-square-mile national park since 1890, park officials have said.