Fire breaks out in former hotel opposite Houndshill Shopping Centre

Fire crews rushed to the scene in Albert Road at 7.55am where a four-storey property next to the Calypso Hotel had caught fire.

One casualty was treated by firefighters for suspected smoke inhalation before ambulance crews arrived, but did not suffer any injuries.

Fire crews pulled on their oxygen masks to enter the building and tackled a fire on the first floor using a hose reel and a fan.

Thermal imaging cameras were then used to check the building for further pockets of fire, but none were found.

A burnt mattress was found outside the hotel after fire crews had left the scene. The front door had also been broken. It is not clear at this stage whether the damage was caused by fire crews seeking to gain entry.

The address, no. 37 Albert Road, previously operated as the Ringdale Hotel and 'No Vacancy' signs can still be found hanging in the front windows, but the building was listed for auction in 2011.

A local hotelier said: "The place was reported to police on Sunday as youths were paying an unhealthy interest, and there was a broken window so the property was potentially not secure."

Neither its current owner or its occupants could be reached for comment.

A fire service spokesman said: "Four fire engines from South Shore, Blackpool and Bispham attended a fire on Albert Road, Blackpool in the early morning.

"The fire involved a room on the first floor of a four storey, terraced building.

"Firefighters extinguished the fire using breathing apparatus, a hose reel and a fan. Four thermal imaging cameras were also in use to check for signs of fire spread.

"There was one casualty given oxygen therapy by firefighters for suspected smoke inhalation before ambulance crews arrived.

"Fire crews were in attendance around one hour and forty minutes.

"An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway."