A fire that ripped through at least four large buildings in downtown Baltimore, US, on 6 December, took more than 150 firefighters to get under control.

The fire, which is thought to have started in a four-storey building in the city’s red light district, led to the evacuation of businesses and homes in the surrounding area.

Around 2,000 are reported to have fled the district as the blaze took hold around 3.30pm. It took around four hours to extinguish, engulfing some buildings that were more than a century old.

Among the businesses thought to have suffered from extensive fire damage were the Lust nightclub, the Gayety Show World bookstore, the Plaza Saloon and Crazy John’s sandwich shop.

The area, known as The Block, in the east of the city, was still cordoned off yesterday, according to the ABC 2 news channel. An investigation into the cause has been launched.

According to the Press Association, Baltimore suffered another large fire only a few hours later. They are thought to have been unrelated.