Fire at derelict flats in Burgess Hill

Firefighters from Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath were sent to the flats in Janes Lane, Worlds End, Burgess Hill, at just before 5pm yesterday, an eyewitness said.

It has not yet been confirmed if the fire was started deliberately or accidental.

A spokesman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said today: "We were called to reports of smoke issuing from an empty property on the junction of Janes Lane and Valebridge Road in Burgess Hill.

"The first call came in at 4.30pm on Sunday, June 16, and two crews from Burgess Hill were mobilised.

“Upon arrival at the scene they found a small fire on the ground floor of the building and used two sets of breathing apparatus and one high pressure hose reel to extinguish the fire.

"They left the scene at 6.45pm, leaving the building in the hands of the owner."

It is not the first time the flats have caught fire. Six fire engines were sent to the flats in December, last year, and crews worked overnight to control the blaze.

Police were also called to the incident and said the fire ‘may have been started deliberately’.