Fire which broke out in the outbuilding of a property in Perivale was started by the sun’s rays.
London Fire Brigade say damage caused to the single-storey building at the rear of a property in Rydal Crescent on Wednesday (July 20) was caused sunlight refracting from a glass item in a nearby shed.
Earlier in July firefighters said a blaze at a home in Barons Court was started by a the sun’s rays reflecting off a mirror.
A spokesperson 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.”
The brigade offered this advice to avoid sunlight fires:
- 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
The Brigade was called at 6.06pm and had the fire under control 7.21pm. Four engines with 21 firefighters from Wembley, Ealing, Park Royal and Willesden attended.
In 2015, a pet dog died in a blaze caused by a Nutella jar magnifying the sun’s rays and starting a huge blaze at a family home in Twickenham .
