The warning comes after a fire was started in a Bracknell bedroom yesterday by sunlight reflecting off a bedside mirror onto a bed.

The fire started less than three weeks after a serious house fire in Caversham which a fire investigation determined was likely caused by a makeup mirror reflecting light onto nearby curtains.

Fire crews from Bracknell and Wokingham were called to a home in Cabin Moss, Bracknell, at 12.57pm yesterday, (14/1). Two firefighters entered the first-floor bedroom wearing breathing apparatus, using a hose reel to extinguish the fire and a thermal imaging camera. The issue was registered as under control half-an-hour later at 1.27pm.

A Fire Investigation Officer determined the cause of the fire to be a small mirror reflecting sunlight onto a bed. In total a tenth of the bedroom was damaged by the fire.

Tregear Thomas, Group Manager for Prevention, said: “During the winter months, the lower angle of the sun can cause light to shine further into rooms for prolonged periods, increasing the risk of reflected sunlight heating flammable objects nearby to an extent that they could ignite.

"Incidents of intense reflected light triggering fires are rare, however we have now had two fires in homes attributed to this cause in the county in less than three weeks.

“To minimise the risk of fire in the home, I would encourage people to make sure reflective items such as mirrors are not placed in direct view of sunlight in the home – particularly in these winter months. I would also strongly advise that people fit smoke alarms to every level of their home and test the batteries every week.”