Mum's horror as her MIRROR sparks a blaze at her St Annes flat

The freak incident was spotted by shocked resident Gilly Harrop just moments before she set off for work, who described the blaze as ‘unbelievable’.

The 57-year-old practice nurse said: “I do feel very lucky. It could have been disastrous.”

Gilly said she was dressed and ready to leave her first floor flat, in Clarendon Road North, when she decided to first take some washing off the radiator in her spare room shortly before 8am on Friday.

“It was thick with acrid white smoke,” she said.

“Initially I thought it was something in the downstairs flat and then I wondered if it was an electrical fire.”

After pulling the bed, last used by her daughter in February during a visit from her home in London, away from a plug socket in the wall, Gilly spotted her white floral curtains were alight and dialled 999.

Two teams of firefighters from St Annes put out the flames, leaving Gilly feeling fortunate — and her friends and family scrambling to make sure they had no mirrors in a similar position.

Gilly added: “It was a gorgeous day and I have big windows in that room, and the sun was right on that side.

“All the conditions were there for this to happen. Fortunately, all the stars were aligned for me to find it quickly and get it dealt with.

“I don’t normally go into that room. It was just an after-thought.”

Last year, fire crews were called out to a large detached home in Blackpool after sunlight shining through a glass ashtray left on a balcony set fire to the kitchen roof.

Nobody was injured but the house suffered damage.

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS), John Taylor, said: “This happens rarely but we have had instances across the county, and this should alert us to the fact we need to be vigilant.

“People should avoid putting glass objects, such as bottles and ornamental vases, on window sills.

“It’s something to bear in mind, but first and foremost, get a smoke alarm.

“It won’t prevent a fire but it would give you an early warning.”