Photo: Getty Images
HARWICH, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Even in the wettest of places, officials say a fire can start given the right circumstances, or in this case, the right angle.
On Sunday, the Harwich Fire Department posted an advisory on Facebook that warns residents that mirrors located in outdoor showers may be a fire hazard if left unattended, especially in the spring. Harwich Fire Chief David LeBlanc said that their department has responded to over half a dozen fires that began from outdoor mirrors since 1993, most of which happened in the springtime when the sun is at the right angle and the temperatures are warmer.
"The shower enclosure is a protected area so it allows the fire to grow undetected," the HFD said.
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Fire officials recommend outdoor shower owners tip or cover their mirrors to prevent the sunlight from reflecting into the wood of their house or structures.
The HFD shared a photo of a fire that ignited from a mirror hanging in an outdoor shower, pointing to the fire's origin spot.
Photo: Courtesy of the Harwich Fire Department.
LeBlanc said that one fire began in Brewster when a mirror had fallen face up in an outdoor shower during July when the sun is at a higher risk position for that angle.
The HFD posted a photo of a burned house the day or so after the fire took place, showing where the sunlight in the photo had refracted into the wood.
Photo: Courtesy of the Harwich Fire Department.
WBZ's Tim Dunn (@ConsiderMeDunn) reports.
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