117 Avenue Motel manager Helen Slade said she accidentally left an electric blanket switched on after she got out of bed yesterday morning.
Shortly after 1pm, Mrs Slade rang the fire service when she realised her bed was on fire.
"It was my fault, I left the electric blanket on by mistake," she said.
Two fire appliances and a police patrol car attended the incident, during which the flaming bed was removed from the house through a front door by fire service volunteers.
They quickly doused the burning bedding and mattress in the motel car park.
Mrs Slade said she was grateful to have staff on hand to help her.
She said she usually turned her electric blanket off before hopping into bed each night, although low temperatures overnight on Wednesday had prompted her to turn it on again during the night.
Fire service volunteers cleared the house of smoke shortly after pulling the flaming mattress from the building.
Damage was contained to the bed, and Mrs Slade said she was able to stay in her house regardless of the incident.
Alexandra Volunteer Fire Brigade deputy chief fire officer Mark Hutton said the fire was accidental and fire safety investigators were trying to determine the exact cause of the fire.
"We won't know that today. We are working through the process at the moment."
