Fire officers are ‘keeping an open mind’ as investigations continue into a fire at a disused building in Douglas.

The Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the blaze at Sea Court, on Victoria Road, had not yet been established, but have provided an update this afternoon (Monday).

Crews were mobilised at 9.33pm on Sunday, October 11, following reports of a building well alight. The first fire appliance arrived within five minutes.

More than 30 personnel were involved in the initial response, supported by four pumping appliances, a turntable ladder, a water bowser and an incident command vehicle.

Firefighters worked in challenging conditions to contain the fire and prevent it spreading to neighbouring properties.

The blaze was largely extinguished by 10.51pm, although crews remained at the scene until 2.03am on Monday to complete damping-down operations and decontamination.

A further 12 firefighters were redeployed to maintain emergency response capabilities elsewhere on the Island, bringing the total number of Fire and Rescue Service personnel involved in the incident and maintaining island-wide cover to more than 45.

The service is working alongside the Isle of Man Constabulary to establish the circumstances surrounding the fire and has asked the public to refrain from speculation while investigations continue.

A cordon remains around the affected building, although all surrounding roads have reopened. The public has been asked to respect the cordon while investigations are ongoing, with a presence still seen in the vicinity.

The fire prompted road closures on Victoria Road and Glencrutchery Road on Sunday night as emergency services dealt with the incident.

Sea Court is a disused building on Victoria Road. A planning application has previously been submitted to replace it with a block of six apartments, alongside parking, facilities and improvements to the public highway.

The Fire and Rescue Service thanked all personnel and responding agencies for their efforts during the incident.