A fire broke out at a Peckham house last week after a mirror focussed an intense beam of sunlight onto a shirt that was hung over a chair.
According to a spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade, ten fire fighters responded and dealt with the small blaze within half an hour.
The incident caused a small amount of damage and no injuries, but residents are being urged not to ignore the threat of ‘refraction blazes.’
Charlie Pugsley, from the service’s fire investigation unit, said: “These sort of fires are not as rare as you would think. I’ve seen everything from sparkly door knobs to crystal balls starting fires.
“Crystal and glass ornaments and items such as mirror tables should be kept out of direct sunlight. This shows these fires are not an urban myth. Also make sure that you have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home.”
Over the last five years there have been 125 fires started by the sun’s rays in London, with incidents happening year round.