A BLAZE at a derelict building in Belfast is being treated as arson.
Firefighters were called to the site of an unused building in the Saintfield Road area of Belfast at around 3am on September 18.
A large fire had started on the ground floor of the three-storey site, which quickly spread.
It took 40 firefighters more than eight hours to put out the fire and make the scene safe again.
“At the height of the incident, approximately 40 firefighters were involved in the operational response with fire appliances from Central Fire Station, Knock Fire Station, Cadogan Fire Station, Carryduff Fire Station, Downpatrick Fire Station and Whitla Fire Station,” a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said.
“The aerial appliance from Knock Fire Station and the Command Support Unit were also in attendance,” they added.
The NIFRS are treating the incident as an arson attack they have since confirmed.
“The cause of the fire is thought to be deliberate ignition,” they said, adding: “Firefighters left the scene at 11.08am on September 18.”