Firefighters have issued sunlight warning reminder following a house fire on Uplands Road in Orpington yesterday afternoon.
Part of the first floor of a two storey house was damaged by the blaze, accidentally started by sunlight reflecting off a mirror in the bedroom.
A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade 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’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.
Thankfully no one was home at the time of the fire, and nobody was injured.
Four fire engines and 21 firefighters and officers attended the scene.
The Brigade was called at 1908 and the fire was under control by 2018. Fire crews from Orpington and Sidcup fire stations attended the scene.