An 18-year-old man from Portsmouth has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a huge fire destroyed a derelict former care home in Liss.
Police were called at around 11.37pm on Tuesday, 18 August, after fire broke out at the vacant building on London Road, near Rake.
The blaze prompted a major emergency response, with firefighters from across Hampshire sent to the scene as flames spread through the first, second and third floors and into the roof.
The building later collapsed, sending debris and burning embers into the surrounding area.
Crews from Odiham, Basingstoke, Fareham, Fleet, Bordon, Alton, Rushmoor, Grayshott, Havant, Liphook, Cosham, Southsea and Portchester attended, alongside an Aerial Ladder Platform and Incident Command Unit.
Firefighters worked through the night and into the following day before the stop message was finally sent at around 9.40pm on Wednesday, 19 August.
No injuries were reported.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has now confirmed that an 18-year-old man from Portsmouth was arrested on suspicion of arson as part of the investigation.
A police spokesperson said: “A man has been arrested as part of an arson investigation in East Hampshire.
“Police were called at 11.37pm on 18 August after a fire had started in a derelict building on London Road, near Rake.
“The road was closed for a lengthy period of time while emergency services dealt with the incident.
“No one was reported injured as a result of the fire.
“As part of enquiries an 18-year-old man from Portsmouth was arrested on suspicion of arson.”
The teenager remained in police custody at the time of the latest update.
Fire crews continued returning to the site after the main incident had ended to check for remaining hotspots and ensure the area was safe.
