The lethal combination of a mirror and the low winter sun destroyed part of a Croydon flat yesterday morning.
The concave mirror focused sunrays onto bedding which sparked a fire badly damaging the first floor Peregrine Gardens accommodation.
A woman escaped after hearing the smoke alarm and was checked over by London Ambulance Service crews.
Brigade fire investigator Mark Ross said: “The winter sun seems to be more prevalent this year so I’d ask everyone to keep mirrors, bottles of water and crystal balls out of direct sunlight.
“Thankfully the resident was alerted to the fire by her smoke alarm that our crews fitted two years ago.
“It is essential that everyone has at least one smoke alarm on every level of their home.”
The brigade was called at 11.22am and the fire was under control by 12.10pm. Norbury and Addington fire station crews attended the scene.
In the last five years London Fire Brigade have tackled 125 fires caused by the sun’s rays – most recently they attended the Nutella jar fire incident which gutted a family’s home and claimed the life of their beloved pet dog.
The brigade’s top three safety tips are:
- Keep mirrors and crystal or glass objects away from the sunny sills
- Fit at least one smoke alarm per floor and test them every week to make sure they work and the batteries are not flat.
- If you have a fire close the door on the blaze, get out stay out and call the brigade
Picture and video courtesy of London Fire Brigade, with thanks
