Fire crews have been tackling a blaze which ripped through the top floor of a house in Northampton.
The fire was at a property in Harlestone Road, near the junction of Spencer Bridge Road, and was attended by three crews just after 4pm today.
Neighbours described how the house was rented out, but nobody was permanently living there.
Harlestone Road has been closed from the junction with Spencer Bridge Road to the junction with Vicarage Road, causing long tailbacks on surrounding roads.
Neighbour Frank Mills said: “There’s no gas, electric or water in there, it’s all been cut off. People come and go all the time. They have been burning rubber in the back garden, and the smell was that bad I went and put some water on it.
“It was a disaster waiting to happen.”
Carol Basisto, who runs the neighbouring Carol’s Designer Flowers and Balloons, said: “Somebody opened my door and said there was a fire, so I called the fire brigade. I think several of us did, because it was engaged. There are two or three people living there, but it’s not always the same people.”