A large fire broke out Thursday afternoon at the Mesivta Yeshiva CZNV building on Cazenove Road in Stamford Hill, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky and drawing a massive emergency response as hundreds of local residents gathered in the street.

B’chasdei Hashem, no injuries have been reported.

The blaze is reported to have originated in the Pardes catering kitchen inside the building, which also contains residential apartments. Dramatic footage from the scene showed firefighters carrying Sifrei Torah out of the burning structure as heavy flames and smoke engulfed parts of the building.

The London Fire Brigade said it received the first of more than 40 calls at 4:14 p.m. and dispatched fifteen fire engines and approximately 100 firefighters from Stoke Newington, Islington, Walthamstow, and surrounding stations to the scene. A large police cordon was established, blocking access to Cazenove Road and several neighboring streets.
The fire is not thought to be suspicious in nature.

Stamford Hill is home to one of the largest charedi communities in Europe, and many of those who gathered were members of the local Jewish community. Children leaving school in the area also attempted to reach the street as crowds continued to grow throughout the afternoon.

The fire brigade said the public should avoid the area while firefighters work to bring the blaze under control.