AN investigation is underway after a suspicious fire caused two homes to be evacuated.

Firefighters were alerted to a blaze in the front room of a house in Cameron Street, Burnley, just before 7.30pm last night.

No-one was inside the property at the time, as the fire took hold of the living room.

But acting watch manager Lee Pickup, of Burnley fire station, said the two adjacent properties were evacuated.

"Both of the neighbouring properties were affected by smoke," he said.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus checked the property to determine there was no-one present inside.

Mr Pickup said that the living room was destroyed by the fire and the remainder of the house was left badly smoke damaged.

He confirmed that a joint investigation was underway with Lancashire Police over the cause of the fire, which may have been started deliberately.