Reflected Sunlight Through Window Causes House Fire

Blaze: Sunlight is said to have reflected from the mirror onto curtains which caught alight before spreading to other furniture. Click to enlarge.

Make-up mirror left near window sparks bedroom blaze in south London: A bedroom was partially destroyed in a fire sparked when sunlight hit a mirror and was refracted onto some curtains, firefighters have said. The make-up mirror was left on a dressing table adjacent to the window at a home in Arthur Road, Wimbledon.

Rays from the sun were reflected onto the bedroom curtains which caught alight before spreading to furniture and other items close to the window yesterday evening. London Fire Brigade (LFB) said nobody was injured and the home occupier was alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm. Firefighters were called at 6.32pm and the blaze was brought under control by 7.09pm.

The LFB is urging people to keep mirrors and crystal or glass objects away from sunny areas in their homes. They also advised people to fit at least one smoke alarm per floor and ensure they are tested each week.

Chris Williams, from LFBs fire investigation team, said: “These sort of fires are not as rare as you would think and shows these types of fires are not an urban myth. "Crystals, glass ornaments and items such as dressing table mirrors should be kept out of direct sunlight. "Thankfully the resident was alerted to the fire by their smoke alarm. It’s essential that everyone has at least one smoke alarm on every level of their home."

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