A fire that ripped through a shop was "accidental and caused by a heater".

Firefighters worked at the scene of the blaze in Bridge Road, Wembley, for two hours yesterday afternoon (February 27), with a large cordon placed outside the Wembley Park Food Center supermarket.

The road was closed and London Ambulance Service said it treated four people at the scene before rushing them to hospital.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) have now said that the blaze is being treated as accidental, and is thought to have started after a heater was placed too close to “combustible items”.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Firefighters worked at the scene for around two hours Firefighters worked at the scene for around two hours (Image: Amanda Rose/Alamy Live)

Around 25 firefighters responded to the incident just before 4pm after the brigade received 15 emergency calls.

Footage from the scene appeared to show an attempt to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher before the arrival of LFB.

Smoke could be seen pouring from a shop entrance, and a large crowd appeared to have gathered.

Pictures taken this morning (February 28) show that Bridge Road has reopened but the supermarket remains cordoned off.

Reacting to reports of the blaze on X, Brent councillor for Brondesbury Park Cllr Ryan Hack said: "This is very sad. Hope everyone is safe."

The condition of the four people taken to hospital by ambulance is not yet known.

The incident was over for firefighters at around 6pm, by which point half of the shop’s ground floor had been damaged by flames.

A fire brigade spokesperson said: "The rise in energy costs means there’s a very real risk of heating-related fires.

“We know that people will turn to alternative ways to keep their families warm overnight without turning on the heating, we just want to make sure that people are staying safe at the same time.

“We know that people may want to use portable heaters to heat just one room.

“It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and ensure these items are safety registered and in good working order.

“If you’re using these items around children always supervise them carefully and place heaters somewhere where they won’t be accidentally knocked over and away from anything that could catch fire."

Four fire engines from Stanmore, Willesden, Park Royal and Paddington stations attended the scene.

Video Credit: Shahid Khan​, Facebook