The incident happened at around 11.35pm on Friday at a horseshoe-shaped block of flats in Robin Hey, Leyland.

Firefighters believe the blaze started in an outhouse close to one of the homes and spread to the roof before sweeping along the roof space of eight of the single-storey flats.

Crews from Leyland, Bamber Bridge and Penwortham were at the scene for more than three-and-a-half hours trying to bring the flames under control.

No-one was injured in the incident.

Fire investigators are said to be "open" to the possibility that the fire is suspicious.

A man living in the flat close to where the fire broke out is thought to have escaped through the back of the property.

Meanwhile, neighbours who spotted the fire ran to the other flats and hammered on front doors, shouting for residents to get out.

Bamber Bridge watch manager Roy Helm said: "When we got there...the flat was well alight.

"The problem was, due to the construction of the flats, the roof was timber and felt and quite an extensive area of it was involved.

"The person at whose flat it started made good their escape through the rear of the flat.

"(Others) were alerted by the neighbours who had seen the fire from afar and had gone round banging on doors."

Firefighters in breathing apparatus used special ladders to tackle the roof fires.

Two of the eight affected homes are uninhabitable.

Crew manager Chris Blackburn, from Leyland fire station, said: "The fire, we believe, started in the outhouse of a flat.

"It is a possibility (that the fire is suspicious) along with other possibilities."

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