An outbuilding fire which crews battled to prevent reaching a nearby house was arson.

Eastern Daily Press: Cambs Fire crews prevented a blaze from spreading to a nearby house after an outbuilding cuaght fire in Sixteen Foot Bank, Christchurch on Sunday.Cambs Fire crews prevented a blaze from spreading to a nearby house after an outbuilding cuaght fire in Sixteen Foot Bank, Christchurch on Sunday. (Image: Archant)

Flames engulfed a shed, car, van and conifer trees on the B1098 Sixteen Foot Bank at Christchurch, near Three Holes, yesterday. The road was closed for three hours.

'Crews used hose reels to extinguish the fire and to prevent it from spreading to a nearby house,' said a Cambridgeshire fire service spokesman.

'The cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate.

'Crews from March, Wisbech and Chatteris were called to the blaze at around 5.54pm and returned to their stations by 8.30pm.'

Eastern Daily Press: Cambs Fire crews prevented a blaze from spreading to a nearby house after an outbuilding cuaght fire in Sixteen Foot Bank, Christchurch on Sunday.Cambs Fire crews prevented a blaze from spreading to a nearby house after an outbuilding cuaght fire in Sixteen Foot Bank, Christchurch on Sunday. (Image: Archant)

A police spokesman said: 'At 6pm on Sunday officers along with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service attended a fire at a property on the Sixteen Foot Bank.

'Inquiries are ongoing at this stage. If you have any information on this fire please call 101 and quote incident 458 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.'