Fire investigators were today probing the cause of a blaze which ripped through the former Rochford Hospital site.
Fifteen firefighters fought the flames at the derelict site, which is believed to have been started deliberately.
Crews were called at 6.15pm yesterday, and when they arrived about a quarter of the building in Dalys Road was alight.
An emergency caller also claimed there could be children inside the building, but officers had difficulty entering the site because it was boarded up and protected by a locked gate and fence.
Firefighters had to park the engines on the road and feed the hose reels through a gap in the fence.
Luckily nobody was found in the building.
Station officer at Southend, Steve Deal said: "The single storey building covers a large area and about a quarter was involved in fire and smokelogged.
"Because it is derelict it was boarded up and surrounded by a fence which added to the time it took us to get water on to the fire."
Eight firefighters in breathing apparatus helped to put out the blaze.
The fire is being treated as suspicious and investigating officers were today looking into how it started.
Published Wednesday, May 21, 2003
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