Carpet cleaning equipment bursts into flames at Lismore home

A MAN has been taken to hospital after the incident at Girards Hill.

A house fire which broke out on Cathcart St, Girards Hill was started when a contracted carpet cleaner's equipment caught alight. Picture: Francis Witsenhuysen

UPDATE, 1.30pm: COMPLICATIONS with carpet cleaning equipment, causing it to burst into flames, was believed to be the cause of a house fire on Cathcart St in Girards Hill today.

Tenant Alyshia Johnson said the contracted carpet cleaner "was heating up his equipment" in her kitchen to begin cleaning the carpets, when his equipment suddenly caught alight.

"I went outside pretty quickly after that," she said.

"Hopefully he's okay."

Lismore Fire & Rescue Station Officer Ian Grimwood said crews attended the scene quickly, but the minor fire caused a "bit of damage to the kitchen".

"It's the first time we've been called to that sort of job," Mr Grimwood said.

"The carpet cleaner was taken by ambulance to Lismore Base Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

"Firefighters worked quickly on scene to ensure it didn't spread."

Essential Energy and police were also on the scene.

Original story: FIRE crews are at the scene of a house fire in Girards Hill.

A Fire and Rescue NSW spokeswoman said they were called to reports of a kitchen fire at the Cathcart St property shortly after 12pm.

She said several fire crews had been called to the scene along with police and paramedics.

Two occupants were outside the two-storey timber home when firefighters arrived, she said.

A NSW Ambulance spokesman confirmed one ambulance was at the scene.

He said paramedics would be assessing a 45-year-old man who had suffered minor smoke inhalation.