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EmailSunlight Sparks 2 Mpls. Fires in 1 Afternoon
Minneapolis firefighters investigated two fires caused by hot sunlight in one afternoon.
The first was in Northeast Minneapolis and began when a curved mirror resting on the ground reflected sunlight onto a garage wall. The garage started to smolder and then combust - $2500 in damage was done there.
The next fire occurred a few miles south at an apartment complex. Sunlight was reflected and intensified by a jug of water left on a balcony. It caused a rug to catch fire and the flames burned a hole through the floor, spreading the fire to the balcony below it. Approximately $6300 in damage was done in that case.
Fires caused by sunlight are rare - there have only been 40 since 2003, according to the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office - but they often involve common household items like prescription glasses, aerosol cans, cosmetic mirrors and magnifying glasses as conductors.
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