FIRE chiefs are treating a blaze which ripped through a house as suspicious.

The fire, which started in the early hours of yesterday, caused an estimated £30,000 worth of damage to the house in Newton Street, Ferryhill, County Dur-ham.

Fire crews from Spennymoor and Newton Aycliffe took about one-and-a-half hours to bring the blaze under control.

Police and fire officers were yesterday trying to establish the cause of the blaze.

Dave Turnbull, of County Durham and Darlington Fire Brigade, said: "It's literally been razed, bar the brickwork, and it's not habitable in any shape or form. It's very rare that we get complete burn-outs like this."

He praised members of the public who alerted the brigade, despite it starting at about 4am.

He said: "We had about five or six calls, despite the fact that it was so early in the morning. That's a good response and I would applaud the actions of these people. People shouldn't rely on the fact that somebody else might already have called the fire brigade. It costs nothing to make a double-check."

He also emphasised the importance of fitting smoke alarms, which are often heard by people outside the property.