A FIRE which started in the bedroom of a house in Ashampstead is believed to have been caused by a magnifying mirror.

On Thursday (8) afternoon, crews from Dee Road, Caversham Road, Newbury and Whitley Wood Fire Stations responded to reports of a fire at a house in the village.

Upon arrival, the crews found a fire in one of the bedrooms. Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels to extinguish the fire, before ventilating the property.

The fire caused moderate damage to the bedroom, and havy smoke damage to the rest of the house.

Station Manager Steve Beard, who attended the incident, said: “The mirror in the bedroom redirected sunlight onto heavy drapes, which eventually caught alight.”

“At this time of year, the sun lies quite low in the sky and increases the likelihood of this happening. Although these incidents are relatively rare, we would urge residents to be aware of this issue and ensure that any magnifying mirrors or items containing lenses are moved away from direct sunlight.”

“Smoke detectors throughout the residence alerted the property’s owner to the fire. This enabled them to alert our Service quickly and limit fire damage within the property.”