Paris mansion Hotel Lambert seriously damaged by fire 10 July 2013 Last updated at 13:23 A fire has damaged the landmark 17th-Century Hotel Lambert in Paris. Dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze, which broke out overnight on the roof of the riverside mansion in the centre of the French capital. The building was being renovated after its purchase by a Qatari prince in 2007. Located on the World Heritage-listed Seine embankment, the mansion was once home to the 18th Century philosopher Voltaire. It took six hours for the fire brigade to put out the blaze, which started in an area below the rooftop which emergency services found difficult to access. A large portion of the roof has been destroyed. A spokesman for the fire service, Pascal Le Testu, said 650 square metres (7,000 sq ft) of the roof had gone, along with a section of a central staircase. Some of the brickwork on the front of the building has collapsed. Rooms and artworks have suffered damage from flames, smoke and water. It is not yet known whether the fresco ceiling paintings by Charles Le Brun were damaged. About a dozen neighbours were evacuated, and one firefighter was slightly injured. The mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, said the fire was a "setback" for France's national heritage. Renovation plans by the owner, Prince Abdullah Bin Abdullah al-Thani, brother of the Emir of Qatar, sparked concern from conservationists keen to preserve the historical architecture. Organisations campaigning for the protection of Paris monuments had objected to redesign plans. The building was acquired in a state of disrepair.