FIREFIGHTERS today sounded a warning to York businesses after a blaze at one of the city's top printing firms.

Crews were called out to Maxiprint in Clifton Moor shortly after 3am, after reports of a fire at the building in Kettlestring Lane.

Three fire engines - two from Acomb and one from York - attended the blaze, spending about an hour and 15 minutes putting it out.

Watch manager Darren Stonier, from Acomb fire station, said youths were thought to have deliberately started the blaze in a waste paper plastic bin outside the main building.

Crews found the bins well alight by the time they arrived. Flames had spread to the building itself, and firefighters were forced to smash their way in using hydraulic cutters to tackle them from the inside.

They found smoke had spread to the inside of Maxiprint, and flames were beginning to lick the inside walls.

But Mr Stonier said today the consequences of the fire could have been far worse - and warned other companies to make sure they did not keep any "combustible materials", such as paper, outside their premises where they could be targeted by arsonists.

"It gives a stark reminder of how dangerous it is to store combustible materials next to buildings," he said.

"Owners really need to be vigilant. They shouldn't store combustible materials adjacent to buildings or outside - they should either store them in a secure unit or get them moved on a regular basis.

"The owners this time were really extremely lucky. The actions of the crews saved the building - if the crews that attended hadn't been as efficient as they were, the whole building could have been lost."

The fire was said to have caused 15 per cent fire damage to the exterior of the building and 20 per cent smoke damage to the interior.

lCrews from four fire appliances were today tackling a large barn fire between Easingwold and Stillington.

A fire service spokesman said the barn contained about 200 tons of straw and two tractors. Firefighters were protecting the surrounding area and would probably carry out a "controlled burn-out."

Updated: 09:36 Saturday, August 27, 2005