Sunlight off mirror caused Berkshire house fire
- Published
Firefighters are warning people to check the positioning of mirrors and glass ornaments in their homes after a house fire in West Berkshire on Sunday.
Fire crews believe the blaze in Hungerford Lane, Southend, near Bradfield, was started by a concave mirror on a sideboard.
The mirror reflected sunlight onto the bedroom curtains which smouldered and then caught alight, they said.
Two people were in the house at the time but were not injured.
'Strong sunlight'
Station Manager Steve Wollen, who carried out the investigation, said: "It may sound improbable but we get calls to fires like this every summer.
"Our advice is not to keep mirrors or glass ornaments on windowsills or positioned in strong sunlight."
Crews from Newbury and Caversham Road in Reading were called to the fire at 1900 BST.
Two firefighters in breathing apparatus used a hose reel to put out the small fire in a first floor bedroom of the house.
The aerial appliance from Whitley Wood was also mobilised because of reports that fire was going through the roof of the property.