AN ARSON investigation has been launched after a wheelie bin nearly spread to a block of flats.

Firefighters rushed to the homes on Oakes Street, Kearsley, at around 2am today (Saturday) to find that the blaze had begun to destroy the front of the building.

The fire initially started in a pair of wheelie bins close to the front of the property, which house four flats owned by housing association Bolton at Home.

Flames spread to the front door, destroying the flats' intercom panel, as well as lights inside the building, and causing the communal hallway to fill with smoke.

The firefighters were called by two residents who were sleeping in the ground flats and were woken by the heat and noise of the blaze outside.

Paul Harrison, watch manager at Farnworth Fire Station, in Albert Road, said the incident "could have been much worse".

"It started as a couple of wheelie bins on fire but it had spread to a block of flats," he said.

"The fire spread to the front door and smoke-logged the hall and the communal area.

"We managed to contain it to the front of the property but it could have spread to the flats as well."

Mr Harrison's crew were able to extinguish the fire after more than an hour of battling the flames, although the two wheelie bins were melted and completely destroyed.

He warned residents not to leave bins close to the front of their homes in order to combat such incidents in the future.

"Try to store wheelie bins away from properties to prevent fires spreading," he added.

"When we turned up it was getting going, if we hadn't stopped it it could've been much worse."

Police later confirmed that they had opened an investigation into the incident over suspicions the blaze was started deliberately.

This was the latest in a number of instances of bin fires damaging homes.

Most recently,

a blaze started outside a garage in Shurmer Street, Daubhill,

threatened to spread into an adjacent family home.