Blaze rips through Accrington houses (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Blaze rips through Accrington houses

12:28pm Saturday 16th March 2013 in News By Tyrone Marshall, Reporter

THE first floor of an empty terraced house was severely damaged by a blaze.

Fire crews were called to the property in Royds Street, Accrington, at around 7.20pm on Friday.

A blaze had started in the roof space of a house which then spread to the roof space of a second house on the row.

Three fire crews attended the scene and used an aerial ladder platform to gain access through the roof and put out the blaze.

Accrington watch manager Barry Hornsby said: “The fire was in an unoccupied mid-terrace house on the first floor and in the roof space, which also spread to the roof space of another unoccupied house next door.

“In one of the rooms of the property there looked to be the remains of some kind of squat.

“The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

“It caused 100 per cent damage to the upstairs of the house and damage to the roof.”

The blaze was in a terraced house in the middle of a row of empty houses.

Only the end houses on the terrace were occupied when the fire occured.

One eye-witness said: “I saw the flames coming out of the roof as I walked past so I called the police and fire service.

“The flames were coming about two foot above the roof of the house.”

Investigations are continuing to determine the cause of the blaze.