SPRING sunshine on Tuesday is being blamed for a blaze which almost wrecked a Pewsey house and could have killed three dogs, which were alone when the fire started.

Annie West, 52, was visiting her late mother Joy Francis' home on Bramley Close with a friend, and had gone out to lunch, leaving the three dogs, Sprout, Kai and Ellie, inside.

When sun focussing through a magnifying glass led to the blaze, a neighbour heard the smoke alarm going off and dialled 999. Mrs West and her friend Linda Mcvean, who owns the dogs, were horrified when they came back to find fire crews just about to break into the house, and could see that smoke was filling the front room.

Mrs West said: “The fire was powerful enough to take out my mother’s rocking chair. It is horrifying really, they were in the room when the fire broke out, when I tried to look in or see if I could hear them I could only hear one dog.

“I thought that only one of them had managed to survive but when the fire crews opened the front door all three of them came bouncing out. One of them, Ellie, is 13 and has gone deaf, it was really lucky someone got there when they did.”

Mrs West's mother Joy Francis, 85, died in March. “I live over in Georgia, USA, and I am leaving on Sunday, this could’ve been so much worse. Mum lived here for 17 years and never had a fire, never in a million years would I have suspected that to happen," Mrs West said.

“It seemed everyone in Pewsey knew my mum, she was a part of the local U3A and also volunteered at Devizes museum. People have been so kind, we had a man from Fishlock and Dyer electricians come over to sort out a plug socket damaged in the fire and he said he would do it for just £20 instead of a previous quote of £500. When we realised we didn’t have it he just smiled and said not to worry about it.”

Fire crews from Pewsey and Marlborough raced to the detached house on Tuesday afternoon. Following an investigation, the crews concluded that the fire had been accidental after sunlight reflected off a magnifying glass and set light to the curtains.

The blaze damaged a rocking chair and caused smoke damage to furnishings and decor.

Station manager Mike Bagnall said: “The prompt actions of the neighbour in raising the alarm meant that crews were able to save the family pets and also prevent the fire spreading beyond the living room. Had the smoke alarm not been working, the outcome could have been much different.”

The fire crews used two breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet to extinguish the blaze.

“This is the second incident in a week that I’ve attended where the fire has started because of reflected sunlight. Where you have a mirror or any other glass object, such as an ornament, which is curved, this allows the glass to act as a lens," Mr Bagnall said.

“When the sunlight hits it, it becomes concentrated and, if the rays are bounced onto something flammable, such as curtains or soft furnishings, then a fire can start. It does depends on the angle of the sun, but any mirror or glass ornament with a curve in it should never be left on a windowsill or by a window.”