Arson attack suspected after flats blaze

Firefighters were called out to the incident on an external staircase at the flats, on Balmoral Road, at 2.50am.

Although there were no casualties, it was a significant blaze, with four fire engines in attendance from Lancaster, Morecambe and Bolton-le-Sands, and the fire took some seven hours to extinguish.

Firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus used three hose reels and a portable ventilation unit to extinguish the fire and clear the smoke.

A Lancashire Fire and Rescue spokesman SAID: “The fire was of suspicious origin and a joint investigation with Lancashire Police is now underway.”