London Fire Caused By Sunlight Refracting Off Crystal Doorknob
- 10 years ago
Fire investigators have determined that a blaze which tore through a home in south London was caused by a doorknob. The knob is made out of crystal.
It's a sight noone wants to witness - their home engulfed in flames.
Fire investigators have determined that a blaze which tore through a home in south London was caused by a doorknob. The knob is made out of crystal.
Refracted sunlight from the surface of the doorknob hit a dressing gown which caused it to burst into flames that quickly spread. Fortunately no one was inside the home at the time of the blaze.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene when builders working in the neighborhood heard the residence’s smoke alarms go off. Fire officials rushed to the home and were able to swiftly put out the flames before they spread to the entire house.
A section of the bedroom was badly damaged but the end result could have been far worse had it not been for the timely response. The incident has prompted the London Fire Brigade to issue a fire risk warning to residents.
Charlie Pugsley from the Brigade’s fire investigation unit said “Crystal and glass ornaments and items such as shaving mirrors should be kept out of direct sunlight.”
To make their point clear, firefighters cited another case from earlier this year when a crystal ball set fire to curtains in northeast London.
It's a sight noone wants to witness - their home engulfed in flames.
Fire investigators have determined that a blaze which tore through a home in south London was caused by a doorknob. The knob is made out of crystal.
Refracted sunlight from the surface of the doorknob hit a dressing gown which caused it to burst into flames that quickly spread. Fortunately no one was inside the home at the time of the blaze.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene when builders working in the neighborhood heard the residence’s smoke alarms go off. Fire officials rushed to the home and were able to swiftly put out the flames before they spread to the entire house.
A section of the bedroom was badly damaged but the end result could have been far worse had it not been for the timely response. The incident has prompted the London Fire Brigade to issue a fire risk warning to residents.
Charlie Pugsley from the Brigade’s fire investigation unit said “Crystal and glass ornaments and items such as shaving mirrors should be kept out of direct sunlight.”
To make their point clear, firefighters cited another case from earlier this year when a crystal ball set fire to curtains in northeast London.