Overheated pants, magic spells, a pigeon with a cigarette, and a microwaved toilet roll were among the more unusual causes of fire reported by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) in 2013.
Among the 2,000 fires analysed by the Brigade’s fire investigators, the following causes were identified:
- A teenage boy lit a can of deodorant he had just sprayed on himself before going on his first date, igniting the gases and causing an explosion.
- A microwaved toilet roll that someone was attempting to dry out after the person dropped it down the loo caught fire. Another person tried to use a toilet roll as a candle holder.
- A dog hit the controls of a toaster with its paws as it leapt onto a kitchen worktop to reach some food, setting fire to bread left in a bag on top of the toaster.
- A mouse got into the back of a fridge freezer and shorted the electrics, causing a blaze
- Pants on fire: A man vigorously using a pair of boxer shorts to apply linseed oil to a floor caused the pants to overheat and start a fire.
- A pigeon dropped a discarded lit cigarette down a blocked up chimney, setting fire to a bird’s nest inside it.
- Unattended incense candles bought as part of a magic spell set fire to the user’s flat.
- A bacterial reaction ignited dried out potting compost left unattended in a basement room over winter, causing the room to catch fire.
“There’s never a dull moment in the fire investigation team,” said LFB station Manager Charlie Pugsley. “On one occasion it even turned out that the family dog had started the fire by pawing at the cooker, inadvertently turning the gas on and setting light to food left on the hob.”
But while they may be amusing, all these cases highlight the multitude of possible causes of fire that people may not have thought of, and emphasise the importance of taking simple fire-safety precautions.
Moral: Fire safety can never be taken for granted.
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