Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a flat fire on Saint Mary’s Square in Paddington.
Part of a five-roomed flat on the ground floor was damaged by fire. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued one dog from inside the building. There were no reports of any injuries.
The fire is believed to have been accidental and caused by self-heating tea towels and aprons.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “These types of fires often involve textiles that become contaminated with oil, most commonly linseed, massage and cooking oil on tea towels, tablecloths and chef whites.
Sometimes when materials are cleaned, put in tumble dryers and then folded and stacked, the heat from the tumble drying cannot escape. This can result in a high enough temperature allowing it to build up to a point where it smoulders and eventually ignites.
“If you are washing and then drying on a hot cycle, always use the cooling cycle on the tumble dryer so it cools down and allow the heat to dissipate properly, before stacking laundered items together.”
The Brigade was called at 1813 and the fire was under control by 1909. Fire crews from Kensington, Paddington, North Kensington and Soho fire stations attended the scene.