Residents in a Maryport street had to be evacuated from their home after fire broke out in the early hours of the morning.

Four fire crews - two from Workington and ones from Maryport and Aspatria - were called out to the terraced house in Mill Street at around 3.30am today.

There were fears that people may have been trapped inside the property.

"We were not sure whether there was anybody in there and eight firefighters in breathing apparatus went into the property to search," said a spokesman for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.

"Fortunately, there was nobody in the property."

At its height, the blaze was being tackled by 16 firefighters.

One neighbouring property was empty, while the residents living in the house on the other side of the burning house were evacuated as their home had become smoke-logged as a result of the blaze.

Nobody was injured.

At present, the cause of the blaze is not known.

But it is known that the house's living room and kitchen were gutted, and the rest of the property severely smoke damaged.

A Cumbria Fire Service investigation team was today due to begin formally investigating the cause of the blaze.

The probe will be led by Station Officer Phil Stannett.