Mansion Fire Causes $86 Million in Damage

LONDON — A blaze swept through an 18th-Century mansion in central Buckinghamshire on Friday, causing an estimated $86 million in damage to the building owned by an Arab sheik and crammed with antiques and art, officials said.

Officials said they had not yet determined what started the blaze at Dropmore House in Burnham, 30 miles northwest of London. The house is owned by Mahdi Tajir, 58, a former ambassador to Britain for the United Arab Emirates who is one of the world’s richest men.

Flames, some 30 feet high, damaged walls and ceilings and ruined the entire east wing of the stately $20-million house that included a room in which there were six solid-gold chairs. More than 80 firefighters battled the blaze, which raged for nine hours before being controlled.