A fire broke out at high rise block of flats in Southend city centre today.
The fire was at a 16 storey block named Quantock.
An eyewitness told Your Southend that part of the building was becoming “engulfed in flames”.
They added: “There were multiple fire engines arriving with multiple police and paramedics responding too..”
Firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the fire, which was on the eighth floor.
Police have now launched an arson investigation, after Essex Fire and Rescue confirmed the cause of the fire was deliberate.
An Essex Police spokesperson said: “We are investigating the cause of a fire in the drying room on the 8th floor at Quantock, Chichester Road, Southend, on Thursday.
“We are treating the investigation as arson.”