ELDERLY women sparked an alert last night after believing they were trapped in a burning block of flats.
Three fire engines responded to a call at about 7pm, to Rockliffe House, in Lascelles Park, Darlington.
Two women, residents on the top floor of the three-storey block, had spotted thick smoke in the stairwell.
Firefighters entered the building and found the smoke was coming from some burning nylon curtains on the first floor landing.
Police are treating the incident as arson.
Sergeant Dave Wilkes, said: "The nylon material meant it produced a large amount of smoke when burned and panicked two elderly residents.
"It looks like a childish prank. However, it was a very dangerous prank, which could have had fatal consequences."
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