Glass doorknob sets London house on fire

Decorative doorknobs can come in many shapes and sizes, but a glass doorknob was identified as the cause of a house fire in London last fall. Fortunately the homeowner was at home at the time of the incident, and was alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm. The London fire department extinguished the blaze before significant damage was done to the home.

The trouble started when one of the home’s resident’s removed a coat that had been hanging on the doorknob. The doorknob focused sunlight streaming into a bedroom window, and the intensified light ignited clothing hanging in the closet. For its part, the fire department issued warnings about the hidden dangers of combining glass or mirrors and direct sunlight. Read more