After a glass doorknob sparked a fire at a house on Underhill Road in Dulwich on Tuesday, firefighters are urging Londoners to keep items like glass, crystal furnishings, and shaving mirrors out of direct sunlight (21 March).
A small part of a first-floor bedroom in a three-storey semi-detached house was damaged by fire. One woman left the property before the Brigade arrived. There were no reported injuries.
The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental and caused by sunrays focusing on a spherical glass doorknob that ignited hanging clothes.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “These sorts of fires are not as rare as you would think. They can happen all year around, but as we head into summer and the sun gets stronger, it’s really important that reflective items such as mirrors, crystals and glass ornaments are kept out of direct sunlight.”
The Brigade was called at 9.50am and the fire was under control at 10.49am. Three fire engines and around 15 firefighters from New Cross, Peckham and West Norwood fire stations attended the scene.
The top three safety tips from the Brigade.
Keep mirrors and crystal or glass objects away from the sunny sills.
Install at least one smoke alarm per floor and test them once a week to ensure they are operational and the batteries are not dead.
If you have a fire, close the door on the blaze, get out stay out and call the Brigade.
