Investigation after 'suspicious' fire at house in Central Blackpool

Crews were called to the blaze on Jameson Street

Emergency services were alerted to the fire, in which people were feared trapped, via a 999 call in Jameson Street at around 2am on August 10.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus searched the two-storey property but quickly established that the house was empty.

They spent around 15 minutes fighting the fire and a further hour investigating the fire and ensuring it was out.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "Last night we attended a call out where people were reported to be in the property.

"When we arrived we found the fire was well alight at the back of the property.

"We forced entry to the front door and committed firefighters in breathing apparatus to search the house.

"We quickly established that nobody was inside.

"It seems the fire had spread from a bin that had been pushed up against the back door.

"Thankfully the young lady and her child who lived in the property were not home."

"This incident had the potential to be very serious.

"We did notice the presence of smoke alarms, so hopefully if the young woman had been at home these would have alerted her to the danger and she and her daughter would have been able to get out.

"We would also advise people to think carefully about where they store their bins. Bins should be kept securely and should not block any escape routes or block access."

Nobody was injured during the incident.