London Fire Brigade responded to a blaze in Golders Green on Wednesday, impacting a Jewish supermarket, Kosher Kingdom. The London Fire Brigade mobilized 15 engines and around 100 firefighters after receiving numerous calls about the fire. The cause remains unknown, but smoke is significant; residents urged to avoid area while firefighting efforts continue.
Metropolitan Police stated it too early to determine cause, with no injuries reported. Recent months have seen multiple arson attacks on synagogues and community sites in Golders Green. A stabbing attack targeting two Jewish men in late April prompted the UK’s national threat level to rise from “substantial” to “severe.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the attack as “abhorrent” and a “vile act of terrorism.” SITE Intelligence Group linked incidents to Iran-linked group, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI). In response, London police created a new community protection team with 100 extra officers for neighborhood policing and specialist counter-terrorism capabilities. Officers were at the scene Wednesday assisting firefighters with road closures and evacuations.