Fire breaks out at Google's UK headquarters

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The Telegraph reports a fire broke out after a barbecue was held on the roof of Google's British headquarters in Victoria, south west London this afternoon.

The blaze started in a terrace on top of the office building on Buckingham Palace Road, which was closed off by emergency crews.

Around 5,000 Google staff and employees of other firms based in the six-floor building were evacuated, as four fire engines and 20 firefighters fought to extinguish the flames.

A Google spokeswoman, speaking on her mobile from outside the building, said that no one had been hurt and all workers had been accounted for.

"All I know is that there was a barbecue on a roof terrace on one of the Google floors," she said.

"We have all been moved away from the building and we are waiting for the fire brigade to tell us when we can go back in."

A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said that a part of the timber decked patio area on the fifth floor terrace was damaged by the blaze.

"The Brigade was called at 13.53 and the fire was under control by 15.13," he said.

"Fire crews from Westminster and surrounding fire stations attended the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation."

Witnesses in neighbouring blocks – including the Telegraph Media Group building opposite – broke news of the fire on Twitter, the micro-blogging website this afternoon.

"There's a tree on fire on one of Google office roof terraces across the road" wrote one.

The flames died down within a few minutes but smoke continued to pour out into the sky as firefighters on a raised platform struggled to reach the source of the flames.

The US-based search giant is based on three floors of Belgrave House, opposite Victoria train station, where it moved after vacating its first British headquarters in Soho.

Other firms based in the building include American Express, the financial services company, and Vitol, the oil trader.

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