MORE than 100 cannabis plants were found in a Southampton property which was ravaged by a severe fire.

An investigation has been launched and a woman is being hunted after a blaze ripped through two semi-detached houses in Poole Road in the early hours of Monday morning.

Throughout the day police officers and firefighters scoured the property as part of their investigations.

Now Hampshire police have confirmed that more than 100 cannabis plants were discovered at the address.

VIDEO: Search still on for woman 'who ran away' after fire at property >>>

No arrests have yet been made.

A nearby resident, who does not wish to be named, said: “Neighbours could smell cannabis over the past few weeks.

“We understand that there was a lot of electrical equipment in there, and the fire crews have said there was an electrical fault.

“The system was probably overloaded.”

Firefighters at the scene initially said they suspected the blaze was due to an electrical fault, though officers say the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

As reported, it is understood that the fire started in a bedroom on the first floor of one of the houses and ripped through the roof which has been left severely damaged.

Nobody was injured in the incident as it is understood that the building was empty when the fire broke out.

However, a woman was seen running away from one of the houses when the blaze took hold and is now being hunted by police.

A resident on the street, who does not wish to be named, said: “A lady came out the side entrance and didn’t say anything. She escaped very quickly.

“We knew there was a lady living there but we didn’t know of anyone else there.”

Bryan Girling, 60, retired, from Woolston, was the first who saw flames sweeping through the roof and called the emergency services.

He said: “We could hear breaking glasses and the windows were melting. We started banging on the door to raise the alarm. We thought there was someone in the bedroom.

“The back door was open but the fire was out of control. Thick, black smoke was coming down the stairs and we decided not to go upstairs, the fire was too severe.”

A Hampshire police spokesperson said: “A woman was reported as running away from the address when the fire started and we are making enquiries to locate her.”

Call 101 and quote crime reference number 44170263735.