Police are investigating a fire at the former Brewery Tap pub in Ipswich as arson.
Firefighters were called at 7.44pm yesterday, Thursday, June 7, to reports of a fire at the building in Cliff Road.
The blaze started on the ground floor of the building, where it is believed a sofa was deliberately set alight.
Two gas cylinders were positioned nearby, which were swiftly removed by firefighters.
Watch Commander Whitehead, who was in charge of the fire response, said if the cylinders had exploded they could have killed at least two members of the crew.
Speaking at the scene of the blaze, he said: “When the crew were in there they found that somebody had set fire to the lounge area, using the settee and placed two butane cylinders quite close to it.
“There was a chance they could have exploded and killed two of our firefighters.
“There could have been serious consequences.”
Breathing apparatus, hosereels and thermal imaging cameras were used by fire officers at the site.
A spokesperson for Suffolk Constabulary has since confirmed the fire is being investigated as an arson.
An ambulance was initially called, but not required on site as no people were found to be in the building.
The pub also suffered a fire back in September 2017. It closed down in March last year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here