18 Surprising Sources That Have Caused Or Can Cause Accidental Fires

Even the most innocent-looking things can cause accidental fires. Think of the makeup mirror on your windowsill, or a chip bowl-turned parabolic mirror, or a snowball decoration.

And sometimes, it’s not even the mirrors. A 38-story skyscraper on London’s Fenchurch Street has been melting cars and setting buildings on fire due to its curvilinear shape which focuses the sun's rays onto a small area.

But most importantly, most accidental fires can be anticipated and prevented before it’s too late. So Bored Panda has compiled a list of dangerous examples of how little it takes for a fire to escalate into engulfing flames in hopes you’ll look around your house and make sure there’s no hidden source of accidental fire.

#1 This London Skyscraper Can Melt Cars And Set Buildings On Fire

Skyscraper is known locally as "the Walkie-Talkie" for its unusual shape. But that curvilinear shape is exactly what's causing the problem: The south-facing exterior wall is covered in reflective glass, and because it's concave, it focuses the sun's rays onto a small area, not unlike the way a magnifying glass directs sunbeams onto a superhot pinpoint of light.

Image credits: wikipedia

#2 After Washing The Car, Rims Created A Magnifying Effect On The Grass Which Started A Lawn Fire

Image credits: Rocky Sirok Ledesma

#3 My Sister Was Putting On Her Make Up In Front Of A Window And The Mirror She Was Using Burnt A Hole In Her Screen

Image credits: reddit.com

#4 The Chip Bowl Acted As A Parabolic Mirror And Set A Chip On Fire

Image credits: reddit.com

#5 Boy Accidentally Sets Lawn On Fire With Magnifying Glass He Got As Christmas Present

Christmas Day was memorable to say the least! My twelve year old son Cayden, who is an avid reader, an honor student, and interested in science, asked for a magnifying glass for Christmas. (It’s like a basketball player asking for basketball shoes.) We thought it was for reading, but instead he tried to see if he could light a fire with it! We discovered that he and his two brothers went out on the driveway to see if they could burn a couple holes in some newspaper. Everything was under control until the boys came running into the house telling us that a corner of the lawn was on fire and the Christmas lights were melting! Justin and I rushed outside to see the entire front lawn turning black! We grabbed buckets, turned on the hose and sprinklers, and I grabbed blankets to smother and trap it - before it could spread any more into the neighbors yard! What a sight to see - a bunch of people running around crazy trying to put a front lawn fire out while wearing matching Christmas jammies! I want to reiterate this was an accident. It could have been worse but it wasn’t. So instead of a tragedy it will now be a Christmas to remember! 2019- The Christmas the lawn lit on fire. Oh and never buy a magnifying glass for your son!

Image credits: Nissa-Lynn Parson

#6 House Fire Started By Sun Reflecting Off Bedroom Mirror

Image credits: BBC

#7 Sunlight On Make-Up Mirror Causes Freak Nottinghamshire House Fire

Image credits: Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service

#8 The Sun Shining Through A Crystal Ball And Burned A Hole Through My Copy Of Goblet Of Fire

Image credits: reddit.com

#9 My Crystal Ball Paper Weight Burnt A Hole In My Homework

Image credits: reddit.com

#10 Martha Stewart Posts Terrifying Photos After Her Makeup Mirror Almost "Ignited" Her Bathroom

BEWARE!!!!! While I was in Tasmania my master bathroom had a serious problem A magnifying makeup mirror , sitting on the back of the toilet , happened to catch the rays if the afternoon sun , reflecting them directly onto the painted window sill . The light was so intense that the paint scorched and smoked And almost ignited ! My housekeeper smelled the burning paint and stopped the problem Please take care not to let such a queer thing happen in your home!!!!!

Image credits: marthastewart48

#11 Woman's Warning After Make-Up Mirror Almost Causes Bedroom Blaze

Image credits: Rachael Myers

#12 A Magnifying Mirror Burnt A Window Frame In A Rented Apartment. Suggestions?

Image credits: reddit.com

#13 Crystal Ball Can Burn Your House

Image credits: meakoopa

#14 The Glass Globe Of This Light Focused The Sunlight Enough To Burn The Suns Path In The Grass

Image credits: reddit.com

#15 My Mom Accidentally Left Her Mirror In Front Of The Window Over The Day. After Coming Back She Found This...

Image credits: reddit.com

#16 The Sun Came Through The Window Of My New Apartment And Hit A Mirror, Setting My Carpet On Fire

Image credits: reddit.com

#17 My Snowglobe Acted As A Magnifying Glass And Burnt A Line Into My Curtain

Image credits: reddit.com

#18 This Football Shaped Bottle By A Mineral Water Company Ahead Of Football Worldcup Russia 2018 That Turns Into Spherical Magnifying Glass And Gets On Fire When In Sun For More Than A Minute

Image credits: reddit.com