A London home lies in complete destruction and a family pet has died following a fire caused by a Nutella jar containing plastic loom bands.
Declan and Lindsay Murphy were out celebrating their anniversary with their two children when they were notified by neighbour about a blaze in their family home.
Low winter sunlight refracted by a Nutella container on the windowsill of their daughter’s bedroom was the reason for the fire.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) believes that sun rays were magnified and beamed onto blinds in the room, causing them to catch fire.
“We were out and we were shopping, then we got a call saying ‘you need to come home- your house is on fire’. We got home and it was pretty much as bad as you’ve seen it seen it,” Declan told The Independent.
The family pet, a 9-year-old Jack Russell named Chilli, died from smoke inhalation.
With the minimum estimated damage caused by the fire totalling £200,000 (€272.56), Declan hopes their story will highlight the risks of leaving glass near a window.
“Anything, even a watch – anything that could reflect light. I just want to get this out there so people don’t have to go through what we have,” Declan added.
LFB warn that sun rays are just as dangerous in the winter as they are in the summer.
“It’s worth spending five minutes checking that your window ledges are clear of any glass or crystal that might lead to a potentially life changing blaze,” LFD spokesperson Charlie Pugsley said.
