The blaze caused extensive damage to the historic Law Society office in London
The Law Society of England and Wales said it is “extremely upset’ over the Chancery Lane fire that occurred over the weekend.
“It is too early to comment on the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage, but clearly we are extremely upset that this has happened to this wonderful and historic building,” said Paul Tennant, Law Society chief executive.
He said that the he is grateful to the fire service and relieved that nobody was hurt. The fire broke out on Saturday night during a Junior Lawyers Division event.
“When the fire alarm sounded on Saturday night an event had been taking place. An evacuation ensued and I’d like to praise our on-site staff and others for their calm response. We will release more information as it emerges in due course,” Tennant said.
Firefighters continue to tackle a fire in #Holborn in Chancery Lane. A large part of the roof of an office building is still alight and firefighters will remain at the scene throughout the night https://t.co/lI1PiQQL6c pic.twitter.com/ieYnQWoF3E
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) February 2, 2020
Tennant also sympathised with residents of the Chancery Lane area who needed to evacuate during the fire. According to reports, 11 had to leave nearby flats while about 28 people left the Law Society offices before the firefighters arrived.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said that about 150 firefighters and 25 engines responded to the fire after being called at about 10:40pm. It also detailed the extensive damage the fire caused to the historic Law Society office in London.
“The roof of the six-storey building and a staircase from the third to the fifth floor were destroyed by the fire. Half of the third and fourth floor were also damaged,” the LFB said.
The LFB said that firefighters had to use aerial ladder platforms and turntable ladders to tackle the fire on the roof. Dom Ellis, LFB assistant commissioner, said that the fire was “very complex” because of the age and layout of the building.
“Firefighters worked throughout the night in very challenging and arduous conditions to prevent the fire from spreading to key areas of the historic building, while also trying to prevent water damage,” he said.
The fire was declared under control by 9:48am on Sunday. Its cause is still being investigated, the LFB said.
Firefighters are still at the scene of the fire in #Holborn this morning where part of the roof remains alight. Assistant Commissioner Dom Ellis said: "This is a very complex fire due to the age and layout of the building." https://t.co/lI1PiQQL6c pic.twitter.com/X7B7qmdv3A
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) February 2, 2020
