RESIDENTS spoke of their terror as a fire gutted a flat in their high-rise building for the second time in less than a year.

Firefighters battled the blaze for three hours but the woman who lives in the property was not hurt.

The 15th floor fire in Essex Place, Montague Street, Brighton, was just two floors above where community campaigner Chris Cooke died in a similar blaze in February.

Norbert Suarga, who lives in the flat above the blaze, had his windows shattered.

The 28-year-old said: "At about 1.30am we were watching a movie and I just realised there was a lot of light outside the living room window. I looked out and I saw the fire.

"I woke everyone up and we left the building. It was very frightening."

Another nearby neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "I live on my own and I heard all these people shouting, get out, get out, there's a fire.

"Then I phoned 999 and they told me it was on the 15th floor and they said, stay put.

"Thank God we have got the fire doors now, but it's very worrying to happen so soon after the one in February."

Firefighters tackled the blaze by attaching a hose to a piping system in the block called a dry riser. This saved them carrying their hoses up the 15 floors.

Six fire engines were called to the incident.

Last night officials said the blaze was not being treated as suspicious and it is understood it may have been caused by a candle.

It was not clear whether the occupant was in the flat at the time.

Yesterday afternoon residents raised questions about the lack of carbon monoxide alarms and sprinklers in the building.

Norman Williams, 50, added: "After the last fire we had a meeting downstairs. I pointed out that my balcony fire alarm does not work, but still no-one has been around."

Harneet Grover, 22, who lives next door to the flat where the fire broke out, said he was fast asleep during most of it.

He said: "I woke up at about 3am. People were banging on my door. I missed everything."

Liam Cottam, 26, who lives in nearby Essex Street, Brighton, said: "It woke up the whole neighbourhood.

"The sky was filled with blue lights and thick smoke.

"The worst moment was when the window blew out. It caused this almighty bang and debris went all over the place."

"I'm just glad everyone's OK this time, as it brought back memories of Chris Cooke dying."

Chris Cooke was a community campaigner who died in February this year when a blaze destroyed his flat on the 13th floor of the same building.