Shiny dog bowl causes house fire

[KamaAina]

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Official-Shiny-dog-bowl-sparks-Calif-house-fire-4483075.php

Authorities say sun refracted off the dog's shiny water bowl and ignited a fire at Terry and Shay Weisbrich's Santa Rosa home on Wednesday afternoon.

The fire was quickly put out, but it left a hole in the siding....

Rene Torres returned the bowl to its original position during his investigation of the fire's cause. He found it concentrated light right on the area of the home that was charred.

The Press Democrat says the couple's dog, Toby, had a replacement bowl by the evening.

Doggone it!

[mainer]

1. And watch out for magnifying glasses, too!

My mom needed a magnifier to read small print. She left it on the coffee table, on top of a cloth runner. It was a very sunny spot. When we smelled smoke, we realized the runner was on fire, and it even scorched the wood of the coffee table beneath it. Luckily we were home, or the runner would have caught fire, and then the carpet, and then ... who knows?

[Scruffy Rumbler]

3. As well as clear plastic water bottles.

We had to deal with a grass fire that was started by sunshine through the water bottle left in the field.

[hlthe2b]

2. I guess the poor dog had nothing but near-boiling water to drink?

Pays to be careful about these kind of shiny things in hot cars as well...