Police say fire at kosher supermarket in London’s Golders Green neighborhood is “non-suspicious”

London’s fire service responded on Wednesday to a blaze in the Golders Green neighbourhood, home to a large Jewish community that has been the target of several arson attacks in recent months, but police said the fire was “non-suspicious.”

Pictures from the scene showed flames from the Kosher Kingdom Jewish supermarket and plumes of black smoke rising above the area’s main shopping street.

Amid widespread reports of the fire being caused by an electrical fault on Wednesday morning, London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Craig Carter told reporters at the scene that “the circumstances of the fire do not appear to be suspicious at this time”.

“We are now able to confirm that the fire at a warehouse in Golders Green is non-suspicious,” London’s Metropolitan Police later said in a social media message. He said the force understood that “this incident will cause concern and disruption to the local community. … We would like to reassure residents that there is no indication of any targeted or deliberate act.”

The fire brigade had earlier said it had mobilised 15 fire engines and around 100 firefighters after receiving dozens of calls about the fire.

“The fire has affected the ground floor shop and the storage area at the rear of the shop,” the statement said.

“A large amount of smoke is coming out from the fire,” it said. People are also urged to stay away from the area “while firefighters work to extinguish the blaze”.

London’s Metropolitan Police said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire, but fortunately, there were no reports of injuries.

It follows a series of arson attacks in recent months at synagogues and Jewish community sites in and around Golders Green in northwest London.

the area saw knife attack. Two Jewish men were targeted in late April, prompting Britain to increase your national threat level from “substantial” to “severe”.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the attack as “despicable” and a “despicable act of terrorism.”

A little-known group linked to Iran, Harakat Ashab al-Yameen al-Islamiyya (HAYI), has claimed responsibility for several incidents.

In response, the London Police created a new “Community Protection Team” to protect the Jewish community in the capital, initially consisting of 100 additional officers. The force said last month it would combine neighbourhood policing with “specialist security and counter-terrorism capabilities”.

Community members have described living in fear and shock. Following a recent series of anti-Semitic attacks.

Police said officers were at the scene of Wednesday’s fire “assisting firefighters with road closures and evacuations”.