A TOWEL left too close to a bedside lamp sparked a serious fire at a home near Bicester.

Fire crews were called out to a fire at a terraced house in Skimmingdish Lane, Caversfield, at 2.13am this morning.

The flames had taken hold of a first-floor bedroom and forced the glass window pane to shatter, and was quickly spreading.

There were three people at home, who were elsewhere in the house at the time and were alerted by a fire alarm.

After a failed attempt to control the fire they shut the bedroom door, fled the house and called 999.

Firefighters hosed down the flames from inside and out, and managed to stop it spreading elsewhere.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service believes the fire was started accidentally 'by a towel being left too close to a bedside lamp'.

The residents were helped by members of the British Red Cross Fire Emergency Support Service from Oxford, who were sent out to offer support.

Crew manager Pete Mackay of Bicester Fire Station said: "This was a very serious fire which, if it hadn’t been for the smoke alarm sounding, could have resulted in a loss of life.

"The quick actions to shut the door and leave the property saved the rest of the house and allowed them to escape relatively unscathed.

"We cannot stress how important working smoke alarms are to save lives and protect property - please check yours weekly."