Five rescued from blaze at kosher supermarket in Golders Green

Ninety-five firefighters tackle the disaster at Kay's Deli, with Jewish voluntary services assisting emergency crews

Five people were rescued from a blaze at a kosher supermarket in Golders Green, causing massive disruption and road closures throughout the day.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) attended the incident at Kay’s Deli in north west London, after the disaster erupted on Sunday morning.

95 firefighters tackled the blaze on Princess Parade, off Golders Green road, with three people rescued via a ladder, two led to safety by crews and 25 evacuated before the arrival of the firefighting crews, according to LFB.

All of the ground floor of the shop and a large section of the first floor was alight, though the cause of the blaze is under investigation.

A whole section of Golders Green Road was cut off throughout the day, forcing the closure of a host of other shops including Reich and Slice pizza shop.

London Fire Brigade Station Manager Paul Fitzgerald was at the scene and said; “Crews used specialist cutting equipment to break in through the shop’s roller shutters at the front of the building and worked quickly in very difficult and smoky conditions to rescue three people via ladder and lead two to safety. The alarm was raised by a member of the public who noticed smoke coming from the building.”

15 fire engines and an aerial ladder platform from stations including Hendon, West Hampstead, Finchley and Mill Hill fire stations were at the scene

The Brigade was called at 0732 and the fire was under control at 1940 but crews are expected to be damping down hotspots into the night. The cause of the fire is under investigation.”

The London Ambulance Service and voluntary Jewish medical service Hatzola also also responded to the blaze. Andy Brown, the incident response officer said “We have treated a total of 15 people for smoke inhalation. They have all been taken to local hospitals. Hatzola… have taken a number of patients on our behalf.

Volunteer neighbourhood watch group Shomrim gave out more than 300 slices of pizza to “brave staff” in emergency crews on the scene.

Speaking to Jewish News, a volunteer for the organisation said: “Our volunteers were on scene all day assisting and supporting those who were evacuated from the nearby buildings which included many young families. We purchased and distributed over 300 slices of fresh hot pizza, chips and cold drinks to those evacuated and the many emergency services personnel.”

Following the fire, a fundraising campaign was launched to pay for a “proper burial” for a dog who helped save its owners’ lives. The organiser of the initiative says: “My best friend Alex was awoken by his dog Daisy as toxic smoke started to fill the room he and his pregnant girlfriend were sleeping in. Daisy tragically died from smoke inhalation whilst saving their lives, which allowed them to alert the other residents of the building, further saving more lives.”

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