A fire close to a synagogue in north London is not thought to have been started deliberately, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.
Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters were called to tackle the inferno in Cazenove Road, Stamford Hill, at 4.14pm on Thursday.
Volunteers from Shomrim, the Jewish neighbourhood watch organisation, said that the fire was “next to a synagogue” and that they were supporting officers from Hackney police.
Members of the public were urged to avoid the area as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.
Footage shared online shows smoke billowing from a building while firefighters and members of Hatzola, the non-profit Jewish emergency medical service can also be seen at the scene.
Three people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, with two taken to hospital, LFB said.
LFB assistant commissioner Andy Pennick said that the blaze “involved the roof”, with “pockets of fire” affecting other floors of the building.
Mr Pennick added that the blaze is now under control.
He went on: “People are advised to still avoid the area at this time whilst firefighters remain on scene.
“At this stage, we do not believe that the fire was started deliberately, however, investigations are ongoing by our fire investigation team to determine the cause of the fire.”
The London Fire Brigade said they received 40 calls to report the incident and mobilised crews from Stoke Newington, Islington, Walthamstow and surrounding fire stations to the scene.
It comes after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green on Wednesday in a suspected terror attack.
Police tasered and arrested a 45-year-old man after the double stabbing which saw Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, – named locally as Moshe Shine – taken to hospital.
Earlier, the suspect being questioned by police over the terror attack was named as Essa Suleiman, according to reports.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged that Jews in the UK were “scared” during a speech from Downing Street on Thursday, having been heckled earlier as he visited the scene of the stabbing.
Sir Keir, who is facing calls to ban pro-Palestine marches, backed the prosecution of people at such events chanting “globalise the intifada”.
But the Prime Minister declined to apologise to UK Jews following a string of attacks on the community.
