A 63-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire at a block of flats in Nottingham city centre.
Emergency services were called to the Litmus Building on Huntingdon Street early on Monday morning.
Residents were evacuated from the complex and a road was closed while fire crews dealt with the blaze in the block’s basement.
There were no injuries, but two cars were destroyed and another car was badly damaged.
A joint investigation by Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has led to the incident being treated as an arson attack.
The 63-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
Nottinghamshire Police Detective Sergeant Al Prentice said: “Lighting any fire deliberately has the potential to cause harm, but to do so in a city centre location like this with people living above is extremely dangerous.
“Thankfully, the fire was rapidly brought under control and no one was hurt due to the efficient work of firefighters.
“We have now been able to arrest a suspect so I hope members of the community are reassured by this robust response from the emergency services.”
Over 50 firefighters were on the scene to put out the fire by 7am.
Station Manager and Fire Investigator, Richard Booth, said: “This arson attack could have had a severe impact on those nearby, and ultimately, it put lives at risk.
“Thank you to the community for their patience whilst we dealt with this fire yesterday and thank you to our partners for their help and assistance, which has led to this arrest.
“Hopefully, this shows individuals that setting fires deliberately does have serious consequences.”
The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information that could help with the inquiries should call police on 101, quoting incident number 42 of 29 April 2024, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
