Updated
Bow flat fire caused by sunlight on glass bottle
Smoke coming out of the flats building in Mornington Grove, Bow - Credit: Valerie Molloy
A fire at a block of flats in Bow is believed to have been caused by sunlight refracted off a glass bottle.
Four fire engines and 25 crew members were called to the building in Mornington Grove, near Bow Road Underground station, at 4.10pm yesterday (Wednesday, January 26).
Nine people left the building before crews arrived and there were no reported injuries.
Firefighters used a turntable ladder as an observation platform and checked for fire spread with a thermal imaging camera.
The fire is believed to have been accidental and caused by sunlight refracted through a glass bottle, which ignited cardboard packaging on the kitchen worktop.
Part of a three-roomed flat on the third floor was damaged by the fire, which was under control by 5.13pm.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Fires caused by refracted and reflected sunlight can happen all year round and are actually quite common.
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"Our advice is to make sure that you keep mirrors, crystals, glass ornaments and other reflective items out of direct sunlight at all times.”
