A fire broke out in a laundrette in Rotherhithe on Tuesday night after towels overheated in a tumble dryer.
Four fire engines and 25 firefighters were needed to put out the fire, which took place on Albion Street.
No one was hurt but an industrial tumble dryer was destroyed and part of the laundrette was damaged.
Firefighters were called at 10.20pm and the fire was under control half an hour later. Firefighters said they think the fire was accidental.
A spokesperson for the London fire brigade 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.”
This latest incident comes just weeks after firefighters were called to put out a fire in a laundrette in Jamaica Road just before Christmas on Wednesday December 22. It was thought to have also been caused by towels being left in an industrial drier and overheating.