A woman started a fire in her home when she poured white spirit on to a candle.
The 51-year-old mistook a canister of the accelerant for water in a mix-up which left her with burns on her arms. When the fluid ignited, she dropped it on the floor along with the candle.
The accident caused 8ft flames to shoot into the air as the spirit, which had been left by builders, soaked into the carpet. The woman called 999 before rushing out of the house with her cat.
Firefighters from Roedean arrived at the ground-floor flat in Marine Parade, Brighton, at about 4pm last night.
The fire burnt a 3ft hole in the cream carpet of the early-Victorian premises but did not spread to any other soft furnishings.
The woman was treated for minor burns by paramedics at the scene.
Sub Officer Bruce Townsend said: "This should serve as a warning to people about how important it is to properly label containers of fluid. You should never assume you know what the contents are."
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