Sunlight passing through Nutella jar ignites fire on windowsill, killing beloved family dog: authorities
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, February 23, 2015, 9:36 PM
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LONDON FIRE BRIGADEA fire started at a home in the Twickenham neighborhood of southwest London when sun rays refracted through an empty glass jar set window blinds alight, according to the London Fire Brigade.
A fire ignited by sun rays refracted through an emptied nutella jar on a girl’s bedroom windowsill tore through a southwest London home and caused the death of a family dog, the London Fire Brigade announced Monday.
The blaze broke out in the Twickenham neighborhood on Feb. 15 when the rays from the glass jar set the window’s blinds aflame while Declan Murphy, his wife and his two children were gone celebrating the couple’s engagement anniversary, GetWest London reported.
The fire gutted the first floor bedroom where Murphy’s daughter had been using the container to store rubber loom band bracelets and caused roof damage, the publication reported. And the Murphys’ trapped 9-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, Chili, perished from smoke inhalation as fires engulfed the home, according to investigators.
LONDON FIRE BRIGADEThe Murphy family lost their beloved family dog Chili in the fire and won't be able to return to their home for up to a year, Declan Murphy told a local publication.
"We're all heartbroken at Chili's death and we've been told it will be up to a year before the house is ready for us to move back into," Murphy, 41, told GetWest London. "I want to ensure other people are aware of the dangers and know to keep glass items away from windows and out of direct sunlight so they don't have to go through anything like this."
Local authorities say they sent four engines and 21 firefighters and officers to quell the fire, and area fire officials sought to caution the public against the danger. The brigade counted 125 fires caused by sunlight refractions on mirror or glass objects in the past five years alone, according to BBC.
JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGESUnlike the plastic containers shown above, glass jars left in direct sunlight carry a fire risk, authorities reminded the public after the incident.
“It sounds far fetched that a jar containing a few rubber bands caused a severe house fire but that’s exactly what happened,” said Charlie Pugsley of the brigade’s fire investigation unit. “It’s worth spending five minutes checking that your window ledges are clear of any glass or crystal that might lead to [a] potentially life changing blaze.”
