Gunnedah Fire and Rescue NSW station commander Rod Byrnes said the homeowner, who was not home at the time of the fire, had left a candle burning on the table.

He said the candle had set fire to reading material and burnt a hole through the table and onto the floor.

“Heat was starting to build up in the house,” Mr Byrnes said.

“It was very close to erupting.”

Two fire crews attended the scene at about 12.20pm today and quickly extinguished the fire which had damaged some of the furniture and an air-conditioning unit.

They then vented any poisonous gases and used the thermal imaging camera to find any hotspots, and a gas detector.

Mr Byrnes said the crews had worked quickly and with the minimum of water to limit water damage.

He said the fire was a “timely warning” for home owners not to leave candles burning or heating appliances on.