Police officers arriving at a suspected arson were met with smoke billowing from the building, they say.
The incident occurred at flats in Antrim in the early hours of this morning, Wednesday, December 22.
A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: “We were notified, at 2am, of a fire at flats in the Tiger Court area of the town.
“When officers opened the downstairs communal door smoke poured out.
“Colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service managed to remove the residents from the building and, thankfully, there are no reports of any serious injuries at this time.
“Extensive smoke damage has, however, been caused throughout the flats.
“It’s believed the fire was started deliberately at the bottom of a communal stairway, and we are treating this as arson with intent to endanger life.
“We are appealing to anyone with information to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 120 of 22/12/21.”
The police added that a report can also be made using the online reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport.
Alternatively, information can be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
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