AN INVESTIGATION into a large blaze at a house in Ipswich has concluded that it was caused by an electrical fault.

Naomi Cassidy

AN INVESTIGATION into a large blaze at a house in Ipswich has concluded that it was caused by an electrical fault.

Four fire crews from Princes Street and Colchester Road attended the three-storey house in St Helen's Street at about 10.30pm on Saturdayto find flames engulfing the hallway and stairs.

It was initially believed someone was in the property but on arrival, this was not the case.

They extinguished the fire, which had completely destroyed the stairs, and stayed at the property for a couple of hours to ensure it was out. Much of the downstairs and first floor was affected by smoke damage and the house had to be ventilated. The incident was over by 12.10am.

Police tape cordoned off the scene while investigations took place yesterday. It has since been discovered that the fire was caused by an electrical extension cable overheating.

Mohammed Khan, one of the owners of Al-Amin, the halal grocery store next door to the property, also owns the house and said a neighbour spotted the smoke and alerted the fire service.

Mr Khan said: “The damage is not too bad. It is a bit of a shock but there is not a lot you can do about it. At the end of the day nobody was injured and safety is the most important thing.

“The fire service was really good and the police have been very helpful too.”