POLICE are investigating the cause of a fire in Port Erin on Friday night.
A number of people rang 999 after seeing smoke coming from a derelict guest house in Bay View Road.
Firefighters from the village had difficulty getting into the property because large items of furniture were blocking the entrance.
Once they got in, they found a well-established fire and called for reinforcements from Castletown and Douglas.
They feared youths might be in the property because they’d had reports of young people frequenting the premises.
Firefighters attacked the fire from the front and rear of the premises. It took more than an hour to control the fire.
They also faced added dangers such as holes in the floors.
A fire service spokesman said: ‘Fire crews had to use their experience, expertise and training to prevent this incident from escalating.and spreading to the adjoining premises and developing into a major incident.
‘Fire crews were on scene for nearly five hours dampening down and cutting away burnt material. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and is currently under investigation by the police.’