A mirror left on a windowsill caused extensive damage to of a house in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday after sunlight bounced off it and set fire to nearby curtains.

“There was a mirror in the room where the fire started that was facing towards the window,” said Cambridge Fire Station watch commander Richard Powell.

“The sun was beating through the window and bounced off the mirror which set fire to the curtains.”

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has since urged homeowners to be aware of the potential hazards of everyday household items following the incident at a two-story home in Bolsham.

Two crews from Cambridge, including an aerial Multistar appliance, were called to the fire just after 3.30pm along with an appliance from Newmarket and Haverhill.

Firefighters used the Multistar to access the fire in the roof. Crews wearing specialist breathing apparatus used a hose reel to extinguish the fire and a positive pressure ventilation fan to clear the smoke.

They returned to their stations an hour later.

The blaze follows a similar incident in January where a vanity mirror left on the windowsill of a dressing room in Witchford set fire to two wooden jewellery boxes. The fire then spread to the windowsill and smashed the glass.

Commander Kevin Napier, head of community fire safety, said: “As the warmer weather starts to appear and we are experiencing longer summer days, please ensure that reflective everyday objects in your home are not left in direct sunlight - especially during the day when you may be out and therefore unable to react to any incident until it has progressed significantly and caused a fire.”