How ironic…the thing that could stop the flames is the cause.
As most of the country deals with heatwaves, firefighters are reminding people to stay hydrated. But when you do, don’t leave half-full water bottles in the car.
They could start fires!
“If you do leave a bottle of water in your vehicle and the sun catches it just right, it could act like a magnifying glass,” says Charlottesville firefighter Frank Scopelliti. “[It could] heat a specific spot and start a smoldering fire that could eventually become a real fire.”
Acknowledging that the idea might sound a little far-fetched, the Midwest City Fire Department in Oklahoma conducted an experiment, holding a water bottle in front of a piece of paper on a sunny day.
Sure enough, the concentrated sunlight quickly burned a hole right through the paper.
And for those of you that are already thinking of giving it a test run, please don’t. It could become very dangerous very quickly!