London fire: Massive blaze hits Golders Green shop, 100 firefighters deployed
London Fire Brigade said the cause of the fire is currently unknown
London's firefighting service said Wednesday it was responding to a fire in Golders Green, a neighbourhood home to a large Jewish community targeted in recent months by a number of arson attacks.
Several UK media outlets reported the fire was impacting a Jewish supermarket, Kosher Kingdom, with images posted online showing a column of black smoke rising above the area's main shopping street.
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"The cause of the fire is unknown at this time," the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said in a statement, noting that it had mobilised 15 fire engines and around 100 firefighters after receiving dozens of calls about it.
"The fire is affecting a ground floor shop and a storage area to the rear of the shop," the LFB added.
"The fire is producing a significant amount of smoke," it said, urging people to avoid the area "whilst firefighters work to extinguish the fire".
It follows a spate of arson attacks on synagogues and community sites over recent months in and around Golders Green, in north London, which is home to a large Jewish population.
The area also saw a stabbing attack in late April that targeted two Jewish men.
A little-known Iran-linked group, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), has claimed responsibility for almost all the incidents, according to SITE Intelligence Group.
In response, London's Metropolitan Police has created a new "community protection team" to protect the Jewish community in the capital, initially comprising 100 extra officers.
It combines neighbourhood policing with "specialist protection and counter-terrorism capabilities," the force said last month.
A police spokesman said that officers were at the scene of Wednesday's fire "assisting firefighters with road closures and evacuations".
"Fortunately, there have been no reports of any injuries," he added.
"This is an ongoing incident with the focus on dealing with the fire and ensuring the safety of the public. It is too early to have determined the cause."
