Investigation launched into 'deliberate' fire in Preston

Three crews from Preston and Penwortham were called to the incident on Pole Street at around 7.40am.

On arrival crews found a number of tyres on fire on stairs leading to the basement of the building.

A spokesman said: "We were obviously concerned that a homeless person may have been in the basement but we used thermal imaging cameras to make sure that was not the case.

"We extinguished the fire using a hose and cleared the building of smoke using a positive pressure ventilation unit."

The fire is being investigated by police and fire services.

Nobody was injured during the incident.