POLICE were last night continuing to probe a seventh floor blaze at a block of flats in Bingley.

A 50-year-old woman, who was arrested yesterday for questioning, was last night released without charge.

At its peak 25 firefighters were at the scene at Peel House in Crosley Wood Road after an automatic alarm triggered the emergency response.

Smoke was pouring from the shattered end window of the high-rise corridor when firecrews from Bingley, Fairweather Green, Idle, Bradford and Keighley arrived shortly after 8pm on Wednesday.

An emergency operator gave fire survival guidance to a man, believed to be in his 40s, who was the only person on that floor at that time. He was told to stay inside his where he was and wait to be rescued.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two large jets to tackle the flames coming from a bed and mattress left in the corridor which was believed to have been deliberately torched, said Bingley watch commander Jason Bentley.

“As we were approaching from one end, the Shipley crew contacted us to say they good see smoke pouring out of a seventh floor window. At that stage we made the response up to five pumps to get back up and we put our high-rise procedures in place.”

The crews set up their rescue procedure from the fifth floor, walking up the last two flights with the jets.

Toxic black smoke that was filling the corridor had been contained from the stairwell and the man’s flat by fireproof doors and walls at the Incommunities-owned property.

Mr Bentley added: “The man remained calm throughout.”

A woman from the same block, who told firefighters she had smoke inhalation, was given oxygen at the scene.

Scenes of crime officers were still at the scene at 7.45am yesterday, said a police spokesman.

A spokesman for social housing group Incommunities, which owns the flat, said: “We can confirm that the fire service attended to a report made by our 24-hour CCTV team of a mattress on fire in the communal corridor on the seventh floor of Peel House.

“The incident was successfully dealt with by the fire service and residents are all safe. We have been informed by the police that a person has been arrested in connection with this incident.”

It is understood that a routine check of the block has been made by Incommunities’ cleaners on Wednesday morning and found no corridor obstructions.

Work is now being carried out to assess the repairs needed and to carry them out as soon as possible, added the spokesman.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman last night confirmed the woman had been released without charge.