Another cafe has been hit by the strange phenomena of exploding tea towels.

Firefighters were called to Billie’s Cafe in Hampton Place, Brighton, at just before 7pm yesterday to a fire in the basement of the cafe.

Fire crews were alerted to the blaze after smoke from the fire set-off smoke detectors.

Firefighters using breathing apparatus and a hose reel to tackle the blaze.

The popular cafe was closed today but will reopen tomorrow.

The cafe’s owners confirmed to The Argus today that the fire had started with tea towels.

In October last year, spontaneously combusting laundry in Terre a Terre in East Street, Brighton, led to a devastating fire which gutted the top vegetarian restaurant’s kitchen and forced the closure of the site for more than three months.

On the same day, a similar fire broke out at Brighton College requiring the work of six firefighters to put the flames out.

It is believed that chemicals or fats still on the tea towels can cause the material to ignite when they are dried.

The owners of Billie’s said that fortunately their fire did not cause “anywhere near the same level of damage” as at Terre a Terre and the fire was more a “nuisance” than anything else.